How to Make This Year Different

Today I'm Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. What? could make this year. Different than all those other years where you set goals, tried really hard. but little or nothing changed.

Well that's today on Living on the Edge and I've got some good news, some practical news. And if you want to see some change this year, I'm going to tell you. I think... The Lord has given me some help. It'll really help you.

Stay with me. We're just days into a brand new year and already the gym memberships are signed, the diets have started and the ambitious goals are written down. But here's the hard truth, most of those resolutions will be abandoned by February.

So, what will make 2026 different? What will make this year stand out from all the rest? On today's edition of Living on the Edge, Chippinggram reveals it's not about trying harder or having more willpower. It's about applying biblical principles that actually work. Principles that set the stage for God to do his best work in us, transforming our hearts from the inside out.

Chip title today's message, How to Make This Year Different.

Well, as we open the program, I ask that question, what will make this year different than last year? or for some of you, maybe the last few years. Because what we all know is that people are going to sign up for the gym. I'm going to lose five pounds, 20 pounds, 30 pounds. I'm going to get in the Bible every day.

I'm going to join a small group. You know what? I'm going to set goals and I'm really going to work. I'm going to make a partner this year. Or, you know what, I'm going to get my license.

You know, I'm finally going to go back to school. And it goes on and on and on. And in about two weeks, there'll be less people in the gym. There'll be a lot of diets that started, that have fizzled out. In about a month or six weeks, the gym will be back to normal of those people that get up really early and do it or hit it right after work and it's a part of their life they almost never miss.

And what I want to talk to you today about is how Life change can happen in your life, but maybe It doesn't happen the way you think it does. And maybe you've been kind of running the wrong software or trying to execute a game plan that doesn't work. And you've decided that you can't change, or something's wrong with you, or you're down on you, or you have areas of relationship, or your relationship with the Lord, or with your weight, or some habit, or maybe it's smoking, or maybe it's logging off the internet, or it's shopping. I don't know what it is. What I know is that.

If any man or any woman is in Christ, we become new creations. The old things pass away. Behold, all things become new. And some become new immediately, and some are a process of what the Bible calls sanctification, where there's a journey where God delivers some things dramatically, and others it's kind of over time and it's incrementally. We're completely changed, but we begin to experience that change.

As we cooperate with Him, the mind of a man plans its way, the Lord establishes our steps. Yeah and so uh I'm gonna share some maybe some mistakes that I've made that you don't need to make or don't need to keep making. And rather than if you're expecting like a teaching time, uh think of today as um it's January 2nd. It's Friday. Um Chip asked if we could grab a cup of coffee together.

That's what we're going to do. I got a coffee right here. And if we were sitting across the table from one another and you said, You know something, I really do want to change in some areas. There's a lot that are really going well. Or, man, I'm really, really challenged in one area and I want to change and I've tried to change, and I just don't seem to be able to.

Chip, any, I mean, you know, you're older than me, probably.

So, if you have any insight, any help, any wisdom from God, and I like to suggest that. maybe over time or maybe over the years or maybe just our time together. that God will help you. I have a little practice I've done. This sounds crazy, but maybe for three decades at least.

And when I get near the end of the year, or even though it's Friday, right? You've got Saturday, you've got Sunday. January 5th, I believe, is going to be on Monday, but most schools won't start. Work for some of you, you'll be back into it, but it's not going to really take, I mean, full throttle until the following week.

So if you really wanted to block off some time this weekend, maybe later today or sometime next week. I believe you could. Because here's what I'm going to tell you. My practice has been threefold. and I'm going to focus on the first two.

The first is I look back. Second, I look up. And then third, I look forward. And here's what I mean by that. There was a quote that I read many, many years ago about Socrates.

And not that he's on the same level of the Bible, but you know, a philosopher, he, Plato, others. Greatly respected. And Socrates said the unexamined life. is not worth living. And I think that we often Jump into what needs to change.

without doing something that every business does, right? Things aren't going very well, or good businesses, if things are going really well, what do they do? They pause. The evaluate. Maybe it's a very specific SWOT analysis or they look at the last quarter, the last year, the last three years, year over year.

What are our KPIs? In other words, what are those key performance indicators? But I find that even people in business, even executives, often who will do that in their business life. I don't do it in their personal life. And so one of the things I've learned over the years, it says the fear of the Lord.

Is the beginning of knowledge. And then later in Proverbs, Solomon, the wisest man in the world, will say, The fear of the Lord is also the beginning of wisdom. And in Hebrew, the word wisdom isn't like being smart. There's a difference between being smart and being wise. Wisdom is understanding how God has arranged or orchestrated life to work.

How relationships work, how money works, how goals work, how people work, how he's designed life to work, and wisdom is lining your life up. With the way that God has lined life to work. And so, you know. What's the right thing to do? In each season, the right reason that you're going to do it, and then how to actually do it.

All that is involved in wisdom. Yeah and so The first thing you need to do is push the pause button. And before you get all focused and write out a new set of goals for 2026 and sign up for the gym, and you're checking and scrolling about: okay, am I going to go with the keto diet or am I going to go with this diet or that diet? Am I going to go the intermittent fasting route? And we just want to hack to change things overnight.

Please. Pause. and evaluate. Um You may not keep a journal. I keep one.

I've done it actually since college. I'm a verbal processor, so this sounds funny, but I often. Actually don't know what I think. until I say it or I write it. And I found that my denial level can be so high that I actually lie to myself, but it's really hard to lie to yourself if you write it down.

And then over the years, you know, when God has been speaking to me, I actually don't write my journal every day. I use it as a tool.

So, probably every third day, sometimes it's a week, then sometimes it'll be, you know, four or five days in a row. I'm not so much writing down what happened yesterday, the day, the day before, but I'm writing much more about this is what I'm sensing, this is what I'm praying, this is where God is leading, here's the top three or four challenges that I'm facing. And I might write a little box and turn those into a prayer request. And so, when I read back over the whole year and I do that, kind of that time between Christmas and the New Year, or the first few days of the New Year, I find a corner, And it might be in a couple, three different journals, depending on how much I wrote that year. I will slowly just.

Without judgment, Read back over the year. And some themes will emerge. God was speaking to me about maybe an area in my marriage in March. And yeah, that's right. I probably need to be more sensitive in that area.

And then in July, that same area pops up. And then October, it pops up again. And then I realize I'm thinking about 2026. And at least three or four different times, God spoke to me about maybe that area of my marriage or that practice about my health or this relationship that I keep kicking the can down the road in order to, you know, I need to deal with that relationship. I need to improve it and whether it's forgiving or whatever it needs to be.

There's something about pausing. And looking back over the year, that gives you perspective. We we too, too often start acting about what we're going to do next without really trying to get a sense of where are we. And then the flip side of this.

Some of you are so driven, or you have such a sensitive conscience. You may not keep a journal, but if you did, you would just highlight everything you did wrong. You would highlight, I didn't do this, I should have done this better, should have done this better, should have done that better, and you make yourself crazy. And you have this view of God that his arms are crossed and you don't measure up, and he has like these scales and like has a microscope into every thought and every action with the goal of being down on you instead of A Heavenly Father an elder brother making intercession for you every day, the Spirit of God living inside of you, wanting to lift you and guide you and direct you. And so I would encourage you, as you look back, That you yes.

Lord, is there... Is there is some things I need to address? but also that you list some things, this went well. I really made improvements. Wow, you know something?

I did work out more regularly than in the last several years. Or, you know, something, you know, I had a troubling or a difficult or a concerning relationship at work. Or, you know, if you're married, maybe it was with one of your children or with an in-law. And you kind of look at that and you say, you know, something? great progress was made.

'Cause see, once you look back, you want to evaluate And then what I call looking up. You wanna take what you think and then kind of look up and say, Lord, You know, whether it's in your mind's eye or if you don't keep a journal, maybe you go through the calendar. And you just look at your calendar or scroll back over maybe some key texts and just say, wow, what went well? Where did I see God show up? What would I give thanks for?

And what were some areas that seemed to be some themes? And can I say, don't overthink it. Um the Lord really longs to help you more. Then you and I often want help. And if you're not quite sure, Lord, what you bring to my mind?

And so you evaluate. That's step one. And when I do that, I do have a list. And so I'll ask myself, you know, in 2025, did I have a growing, vital, fruitful relationship with the Lord? Um what what I'd say my marriage is Like, uh On a scale of one to ten.

Was it a four? You know, we made it through, but was it a seven? You know, are we flourishing? Have we had one of those like, wow, we, it was a nine?

However, you want to do it, but I think it's important to not get too narrowly focused. Obviously, we know from all the research that people are a little over the top on their weight. and on getting in shape, and if you're a follower of Jesus, it's time in the Bible and prayer time, and those are all really, really important. But I would encourage you to say, okay, where am I at in my relationship with the Lord? Where am I at in those most important relationships?

If you're married, obviously you're mate. If you have children, obviously your children. Then you may ask yourself physically: I mean, if my body's the temple of God. You know, let's be honest. You know, if it's been sort of a lot on the couch and a lot of potato chips and a lot of pizza and a lot of like, you've been planning on changing, or maybe you're on the other end where, I mean, you're just so self-focused because your body has to be just perfect and, you know, you've got to work out at this nth degree and it's taken over your life.

You know, part of evaluation is realizing You know, there's some good things that can become idols as well. And then I would look at other relationships. You know, how are you doing with? friends and I don't mean Just casual, but I mean Are they growing? Are they going deeper?

Do you feel like you have people that you can really be open and honest with? And maybe the flip side, are you that kind of a friend to someone? Work is obviously a big, big part of your life and my life, and it takes up a huge chunk. And we usually do better at goals at work, but to ask yourself, what are your goals this year? And maybe the goals are I'm going to work less.

Maybe it's I have a real specific goal for a promotion that's a God-given, this is a desire or a dream. Maybe it's like, you know, I've talked about going back to school for like five years. No, it's six years. Oh, actually, it's been seven years, and I took one class, get focused. And decide what you're not going to do.

I mean, if you're going to go back to school, fantasy football goes out the door. If you're going to go back to school, you know, the Tuesday, Thursday bowling league, whatever it is. You can't do everything. The big lie is we think we can do far more than we can. And then I would be remiss if I didn't ask you to evaluate your personal ministry.

I don't mean just you go to church. I mean that would be a good one to look at. When we survey people, you know, we have Barna or others do some surveys for us at Living on the Edge, and you, maybe you wouldn't be shocked. I'm shocked that what people report, how often they go to church or how often they read the Bible or how they're doing spiritually, is like 25 to 50 percent better than reality. And I don't think they're consciously lying.

I think it's just like, well, yeah, you know, we're regular.

Well, except for during the traveling. team season, but and we're we're regular except for in the you know, in the summer where we got a you know, we got a place at the lake or you know, we've got the and and pretty soon you start adding the holidays.

Well, when people come in town, it's not really you know so good to go to church. My my whole point is not whether you do or whether you don't at this point. It's being honest with where are you really at. And um And I think the final one that is really important is ask yourself to evaluate, where am I at emotionally? I mean, am I an anxious person?

Am I someone who worries? You know, if I sort of tried to evaluate what's my joy level, what's my peace level, what's my love level? And then no evaluation is complete by doing it just by yourself. I would encourage you to, you know, as much as you can, do a little bit of a 360. You know, if you're married, you know, get prepared, but ask with a real desire to hear, what do you think I'm really doing well?

What's a, you know, don't ask for everything. Could you give me two areas you think I could improve? And if you have children, you know, a little riskier. But you might ask them what What about some close friends or someone in your small group? And even at work, regardless of your role, to just a couple people like, you know, I'm evaluating this year.

And I look back on last year and You know, um They probably will not be as honest, but you might be surprised. And so you might be saying, Chip, you're spending a lot of time on evaluation. That's because Knowing where you are is the prerequisite to moving from where you are. to where you and God want you to be. You know, you can get in the car and say, Man, well I'll tell you what, we're going to Philadelphia But if you don't know you're in LA You know?

Instead of Las Vegas. or you don't know you're in LA instead of New Orleans, it's a very different road to get there. I have some great news to share.

So many of you responded to our year-end match. Sending your gift before the December 31st deadline, your investment is already at work, reaching the next generation, supporting pastors who feel alone, and helping believers grow deeper in their faith. Because you gave, 2026 will be a year of expanded ministry impact. On behalf of CHIP and the entire Living on the Edge team, thank you.

Well now back to today's message called How to Make This Year Different. Again, our Bible teacher, Chip Ingram. And now, let me give you, if you will, some real practical ways that I think will will kind of help. Once you get that list And you're looking at it. If you don't feel overwhelmed, you probably haven't done a great job.

So you wanna summarize and prioritize: this is where I'm doing well. This is what needs to change. And then list them. You know, just get them out of your head because they're going to mess with your brain and with your emotions. Just list: here's all the things I'm doing well, here's all the things I think I need to change.

And right, once you get past about two or three, it's like, oh my gosh, I need to change, change, change. Just write them down to get them out of your head. And then you take those lists and you look up and you bring them before the Lord and you say, God. You know, I There's no way I can address all those issues. And I need to strengthen the things that I'm doing well.

Would you give me real wisdom from you, Holy Spirit-led, of where do I need to stay focused in my strengths? And then what one or two things? It's just January, right? There's 12 months in this year. What one or two things do you want me to begin to address?

Please, please. refuse to tackle all of them. I was talking to someone close to me. We, you know, got a. Not a huge organization, but a number of different people in it.

And I was looking at someone's goals. And I mean, it was like. You know, I'm going to read the Bible every day. I'm going to lead a Bible study. I'm going to memorize so many scriptures.

I'm going to, I mean, it was like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. I told this particular person, I said, You you really don't want to go there. No, no, no, no, no, I think I can do it. And then we do, rather than yearly, we three times a year we do evaluations at Living on the Edge. And so the evaluation time came and uh this person came to me and said, Oh my I really bit off way too much than I could chew, then I felt defeated a lot of the time.

It was so overwhelming. Then I realized halfway in, I can't do all this. I actually made some good progress, but because I tried to do everything, it was overwhelming. It was negative. I've got to scale back.

And just come up with what's realistic. And here's what all the research tells you. And whether you read a book like Atomic Habits or others, consistency is much more important than setting a big goal and keeping a big goal. If you say, you know, I really want to get into God's word and I want to develop that habit, or I want to work out, I want to tell you. That if you would do it every day, and if the day you don't want to do it, it feels terrible, there's no way I'm going to open the Bible, you say, I can open it for five minutes.

Set your watch even. Open it for five minutes and read for five minutes and then shut it and go on. Most times you'll end up doing it a bit more than five minutes, but the habit of doing it five minutes will lead to 10 or 15, and you'll build the rhythm and the habit in your life that's far more important than I spent a half hour with God when you were doing nothing or little. You know, then I did this, then I did that, and then you look up and you haven't done it in a week, then you feel defeated. A consistency.

Look, try to lose like one pound. A week or every two weeks. And he goes, Chip, it'll take me six months to get where I need to be. Yes, it will. And it'll stay off.

and you won't be binging. You know, the key. Start small, develop habits, progress, and consistency. And so you're not going to try to do everything. And here's when you think about prioritizing things.

Um Jesus was teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, and by this time he's talked about prayer, he's talked about fasting, he's talked about his word, he's talked about not lusting, and when he gets to the end of chapter six, And this is before there's a pretty big summary about You know, chapter 7 opens with the two kinds of people. And there's one kind that talk about and hear God's word that don't put it into practice. And then there's the kind who hear from God and put it into practice. And one is built on the rock: application, consistency, obedience. And the other is, I heard it, I intended to, I convinced myself I am doing it.

And it ends like. built on sand. And in chapter 6 of Matthew, verse 33, he says, But seek ye first the kingdom of God. And his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. And it was the concern about clothing and food and the necessities of life.

And so what Jesus was teaching there, that there is a really clear priority. And I would say this, you may need to get in shape, get in shape spiritually before you get in shape physically. It's not necessarily an either or, but what I know, if you get in shape spiritually, you'll hear from God. As you hear from God, you get grace. Grace is both the want to and the power and the ability to obey and do what he wants you to do.

So that's just a priority with me. You know, there's times I don't work out as much as I want to, but I have diligently made the habit over many decades now. I meet with God every morning. I have an honest conversation. And if your soul gets healthy, the rest of you will eventually get healthy.

The next thing I would say is don't go it alone. You will fail. I mean, there's a reason that whether it's AA or Jenny Craig or White Watchers or you name any group, Al-Anon, they all have discovered the biblical principle that a chord of three is not easily broken. Proverbs 13, 20 says, He who dwells with wise men will be wise, but the companion of a fool. will suffer harm.

You can't go it alone. You have to verbalize your goals. You need someone in your corner. And if it's an area that's a struggle for you, like dieting or working out, probably your mate is not going to be the best person because it feels like when we do that for the person that we're married to, that we're becoming the junior Holy Spirit. And then they feel, don't go there.

If you're a woman, find a woman that can speak into your life. If you're a man, find a man who speaks into your life. And when it comes to devotions and physical exercise, don't go it alone. Even if you have to say, hey, we're going to text each other at the end of each day when we do this practice or don't do this practice. Once a week, maybe it's your closest friend is across the country.

Hey, can we zoom for 15 minutes? There is plenty of ways to be successful and to connect, but don't go it alone. And then the last thought, or next to the last thought maybe, is John 15, 5. Jesus says, Abide in me. I'm the vine, you're the branch.

Apart from me, you can do nothing. Refuse. Refuse to think somehow that willpower and habits and hacks and I'm gonna do it this way. The only one that can live the Christian life. Are you ready?

Is Jesus. He's asked you to abide. The only one that can overcome every temptation is Jesus. And He lives in you. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus dwells in you. His power that raised Him from the dead dwells in you. Its independency. And he has you depend on him through his word, through the community of God's people, and just say, Lord, I can't do this. You never said I could.

but you can work in me and through me. And I would say the final thoughts that I think over the years have I met with people and in my own life where I've so failed. Is Refuse to compare yourself with other people. The Apostle Paul would say in 2 Corinthians 10, verse 12, For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. For when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

Comparison always leads to carnality. You always find yourself comparing up or comparing down. If you compare up, you're a nobody, you're worthless. If you compare down, you get arrogant and you're a jerk. You are you.

Don't compare yourself. The only one you compare yourself with is God's standard before the living God who loves you and is for you. And how are you comparing with what you did before? And the last thing is refuse, and this is my lifelong one. Refuse to be a people pleaser.

In Luke 16, 15, Jesus was talking to the Pharisees and he said to them, He was speaking about money and wealth and some other areas, but the principle is true. He says, You know what, you all? That which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. Fame, likes, what you drive, the handbag, the watch, where you vacation. There is so much stuff.

Whether so-and-so went public, so-and-so got a promotion. It's not just comparison, it's pleasing people. and even people that are very, very close to you, Yeah. You and I need to first and foremost please God Paul would say in Galatians 1.10, if I were still seeking to please people, I wouldn't be a bondservant of Christ. And so let me encourage you, this year can be different.

But it's not going to be different by trying harder, by trying to do too much. Evaluate, look back, then look up. Prioritize. And then say, Lord, six thirty three. I'm going to seek you first and your righteousness.

And I'm going to abide. And I'm going to do it with you. in the community of a friend or two that I can really be honest with. and I'm just going to take baby steps in a couple areas. You do that in January?

You'll see progress. And then maybe you want to add one in February, or you may want to increase what you're doing. That's how long-term transformation happens from the inside out. I hope this is a help, and I would love to hear from you. It's chip at livingonthetgeonelongword.org.

Chip at livingonthetge.org. Let me know how it's going. With a special message designed just for the new year, you're listening to the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram, and this is Living on the Edge. I'll reinforce what Chip said a moment ago, he'd love to hear your story. And you can send an email that'll reach Chip's desk by writing to chip at livingonthege.org.

To hear today's message again or to share Chip's thoughts with a friend, you can readily access the audio file by downloading the Chip Ingram app. Then search for the message titled, How to Make This Year Different. And as we wrap up today, I want to express our profound gratitude to those who gave to our December match, where every gift was doubled in size and impact. While it's too early for a final tally with mail still arriving, I can tell you this, the response has been overwhelming. Your extraordinary generosity means we're entering 2026 with momentum and confidence, ready to expand our reach and deepen our impact.

And if you intended to give but missed the December 31st match deadline, there's still time to make a difference. Your gift today will help us build on this incredible foundation. Here's where to send your contribution. Living on the Edge, PO Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. Our address again is PO Box3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024.

You can also call 888-333-6003 or give online at livingontheedge.org.

Well, I'm Dave Druy. Grateful to have you along today and urging you to join us to hear more practical Bible teaching from Chip Ingram Monday on Living on the Edge.