“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 NRSVue)

We yearn for the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy at Christmas. Through Advent we wait and watch with anticipation for the promise of comfort, peace, and joy of God coming down in the form of baby Jesus to meet us where we are in our mundane lives.

On Christmas Eve we turn our thoughts to the holy family giving birth to the son on whose shoulders all authority rests by singing of angels and lighting candles.  On Christmas Day we ring bells and sing ancient hymns that connect to Christians throughout the ages. We worship the newborn King.

And then what?

It makes me think of Granny packing up the Christmas decorations immediately after lunch on Christmas. No doubt she was tired of looking at them for a month. A couple of days later the ladies at her church would do the same in the sanctuary.

We also turn to the festivities of the new year while our church sets its sights on Lent and Easter. Maybe there’s a nod to Epiphany and the story of the three wisemen before we move on.

After Christmas many of us make resolutions for the coming year in hopes our lives will go better than the last. According to research the most frequent resolutions are losing weight, volunteering to help others, stopping smoking, getting a better education or job, saving money, getting fit, eating healthily, managing stress and debt better, traveling, being more ecologically minded, and drinking less alcohol.

Unfortunately, most are never kept past January 31.

As Christians, this time of year offers us the opportunity to make resolutions that will have far greater impact on our lives than those above.

The good news of Christmas resolutions is that unlike the ones we make to eat less and give up bad habits, the resolutions we make will draw us closer to Christ in God over the coming year. Thus we’ll continue to grow spiritually. Moreover, we have every reason to expect that God will support our efforts—that by the example of Christ and the actions of the Holy Spirit, we will succeed.

For, in the larger picture, the nativity of Jesus was just the beginning. Despite the drama leading up to it, the angelic visits, the miracles, and the historical events that preceded it, as with any newborn, the real story of Jesus begins at his birth.

In preparation for moving beyond the birth of Jesus this season, I urge you create resolutions for 2026 on how you intend to grow into the promise of Christmas—the man the baby would become (1 Peter 2:2).

Here are a few suggestions to get your started.

1. Meditate on opening new ways God has to offer regarding how Jesus’ life and teachings can impact you in the upcoming year.
2. Create a list of how you can renew Christ in your life by:
   1. Studying the Sermon on the Mount for Jesus’ intent for Christian living.
   2. Looking to the parables for guidance to spiritual growth.
   3. Learning how to live in Christ from Jesus’ interactions with others.
3. Rest assured that God will supply you with the ways and means of keeping your resolutions throughout the year.

I hope you and your family and friends have a blessed Advent season.

-- Karen Kaigler-Walker
Horizon Texas Conference Spiritual Growth & Soul Care Coordinator

* Adapted from a sermon given by Karen in December 2014 to the First United Methodist Church, Haskell TX.