No Resolutions For Me! Jesus says “Let Your Yes be Yes, and No Be No”

I woke up several pounds heavier than I have been in several months. And then I realized that it’s January 2^nd, 2026, and though I’ve not made a resolution, I wondered: has anyone broken their resolutions yet? I need to lose weight and get healthy, but making a resolution won’t fix my problem! I need to make life changes. I need to say “no” to some things and “yes” to others. I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions for this very reason: I see a problem, I want to fix it, I get excited for a while, then I fizzle out. That’s why Jesus tested us on this, saying:

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” (Matthew 5:33-37)

Consider those words. How many promises have we broken? The Bible says Life and death are in the power of the tongue, how much life is produced by your word? Is it trustworthy, or is there a trail of well-intended broken promises behind you, years long? I think in our aim to please others, and even ourselves, we make promises, and we break them just as fast. In my case, I don’t want to make a vow based on a knee-jerk reaction to fluctuating weight. I want to be as good as my word, trustworthy and true. If I’m going to be healthier, I need to make decisions that are healthy. In the same way, I don’t want to make a promise to God, I want to walk with Him. When I say “yes” to Him, I don’t want to have conditions or a plan!  I want to follow HIS plan, and seek HIS ways, and take it as it comes. James, the half brother of Christ puts it this way:

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:13-17)

Anyone can boast and brag about what they’re going to do. Many of us have resolutions, and some of us have 5-year plans, and some of us are waiting for our ships to come in. But it’s difficult to do what is right, and to walk in God’s will. So, this year, no resolutions for me. I’m going to pray, fast, and seek God’s will in my life, hoping to align every aspect with Him so that He will have glory in all I do.

Romans 12

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.