{"id":14689,"date":"2026-01-02T02:54:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T02:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=14689"},"modified":"2026-01-02T02:54:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T02:54:16","slug":"3-soul-nourishing-new-years-resolutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=14689","title":{"rendered":"3 soul-nourishing New Year’s resolutions"},"content":{"rendered":"


By Christopher L. Reese<\/span><\/span>, Op-ed contributor Wednesday, December 31, 2025<\/span>iStock\/Happy Kikky<\/span><\/p>\n

As Christians, when we consider New Year\u2019s resolutions, we often think about reading the Bible more, praying more often, or maybe getting more involved in our church. Those are all wonderful things worthy of pursuing. But rather than taking time to expound on those, I\u2019d like to commend three other resolutions that may not make the usual lists. These are practical \u2014 maybe even commonsensical \u2014 but given the times in which we live, they\u2019re easy to neglect with the result that we flourish less than we could.<\/p>\n

1. Practice attention management
<\/strong>
We hear a great deal about time management these days, but rarely about attention management. Americans spend multiple hours each day on their phones, with teens devoting more than nine hours(!), and adults more than four hours daily.[1]\u00a0 We\u2019re awash in a sea of texts, emails, videos, games, and alerts. If we\u2019re not careful, these can become an endless series of distractions that divert our attention from more important things.<\/p>\n

They can also subtly mold us in the shape of the secular culture that produces much of what we consume. As theologian Jason Thacker writes, \u201cFollowing Jesus in a digital age requires … having our eyes wide open and seeing how technology is subtly shaping us in ways often contrary to our faith. We need to learn how to ask the right questions about our relationship with technology, examining it with clear eyes grounded in the Word of God.\u201d[2]<\/p>\n

It takes some intentionality to guard our hearts from the often counter-Christian messages coming through our screens, but we have to make it a priority because \u201ceverything [we] do flows from\u201d our hearts (Proverbs 4:23). We can use technology in many beneficial ways, but we must also \u201cexamine everything carefully\u201d and \u201chold firmly to that which is good\u201d (1 Thessalonians 5:21, NASB), while avoiding obstacles to our spiritual growth.<\/p>\n

2. Get more sleep
<\/strong>
There\u2019s an old saying among pastors that \u201csometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap.\u201d After all, we\u2019re not just souls or minds, but also physical beings, by God\u2019s design. Christians are sometimes tempted to view our physical nature in a negative light, but this reflects a Gnostic view that sees the spiritual as good, and the material as bad or inferior. This is alien to Scripture, however, which tells us that we are \u201cfearfully and wonderfully made\u201d (Psalm 139:14). As one theologian observes,<\/p>\n

The body matters much more than we usually imagine it does. It matters because it locates us in time and space here on earth. It matters because we live in it and with it. It matters because through it we interact with the world around us, the people who coexist with us, and the living God who keeps us physically alive in it.[3]<\/p>\n

Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). In order to keep them healthy and functioning properly, adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each day.[4] A lack of sufficient sleep can lead to heart disease, hormonal imbalances, reduced immune response, and a lack of mental focus, among other problems.[5]<\/p>\n

Since blue light from our phone and computer screens can make it harder to get deep, restful sleep, this is another good reason to limit screen time, especially close to bedtime.[6]<\/p>\n

Get enough sleep, and you\u2019ll likely notice greater energy, optimism, and an increased capacity to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Our bodies and souls are integrally connected, and each significantly influences the other.[7]<\/p>\n

3. Make new friends\/deepen friendships
<\/strong>
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, half of US adults reported feelings of loneliness, with 58% worrying that no one in their life knows them well.[8] We live in a hyper-individualistic society that often views other people as obstacles to our personal agendas. Yet God designed us to live in close connection with other humans, especially fellow believers. The writer of Hebrews instructed his readers not to give up \u201cmeeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another\u201d (Hebrews 10:25). Like Christians in the early church, we should \u201c[devote ourselves] to … fellowship\u201d (Acts 2:42).<\/p>\n

Since we\u2019ve been noting how some of these resolutions affect our physical health, it\u2019s remarkable that chronic loneliness is more dangerous than smoking 15 cigarettes a day! Thus, author Justin Earley observes that \u201cfriendship will make or break your life.\u201d[9] We can see the wisdom of God\u2019s statement in Genesis that \u201cit is not good for the man to be alone\u201d (Genesis 2:18).<\/p>\n

The quality of our friendships also makes a big difference. We\u2019ve all seen groups of people sitting together in some public place, not interacting with one another, but engrossed in their phones. \u201cThis is what community often looks like in the digital age,\u201d writes pastor Jay Kim: \u201cLonely individuals falling prey, over and over again, to the great masquerade of digital technology\u201d that lulls us \u201cinto a state of isolation via the illusion of digital connection.\u201d[10]<\/p>\n

As Kim goes on to note, while we can communicate digitally, we can only commune in person. Communication is about the exchange of information, while communing involves the exchange of presence. Communing is the more difficult task because it \u201crequires more of us: more of our attention, empathy, and compassion.\u201d[11]<\/p>\n

So this year, I encourage you to practice attention management, get enough sleep, and intentionally look for opportunities to begin new friendships and deepen old ones. It will take some deliberate effort, and every relationship will have growing pains, but the greater depth of fellowship will be worth it. As the pastor and evangelist George Whitefield once said, \u201cNo man is the whole of himself. His friends are the rest of him.\u201d[12]<\/p>\n

Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. ABC News, \u201cTeens Spend More than 7 Hours on Screens for Entertainment a Day: Report,\u201d\u00a0https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/US\/teens-spend-hours-screens-entertainment-day-report\/story?id=66607555.
2. Jason Thacker,\u00a0Following Jesus in a Digital Age\u00a0(Nashville: B&H Books, 2022), 18.
3. John W. Kleinig,\u00a0Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology of the Body\u00a0(Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2021), 13.
4. \u201cHow Much Sleep Is Enough?\u201d National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute,\u00a0https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/health\/sleep\/how-much-sleep.
5. \u201cWhy Is Sleep Important?\u201d National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute,\u00a0https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/health\/sleep\/why-sleep-important.
6. \u201cHow Blue Light Affects Sleep,\u201d Sleep Foundation,\u00a0https:\/\/www.sleepfoundation.org\/bedroom-environment\/blue-light.
7. For more on the relationship between the body and soul, see J. P. Moreland and Scott B. Rae,\u00a0Body & Soul: Human Nature & the Crisis in Ethics\u00a0(Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2000).
8. \u201cLoneliness Epidemic Facing America in 2023,\u201d National Public Health Information Coalition,\u00a0https:\/\/nphic.org\/news\/news-highlights\/1430-loneliness-epidemic-facing-america-in-2023#:~:text=Written%20on%2008%20May%202023,problem%2C%20half%20of%20U; \u201cUS Loneliness Statistics 2023: Are Americans Lonely?\u201d Vanessa Mae Rameer, Science of People,\u00a0https:\/\/www.scienceofpeople.com\/loneliness-statistics\/#:~:text=Loneliness%20is%20steadily%20rising%20in,were%20most%20likely%20to.
9. Justin Whitmel Earley,\u00a0Made for People: Why We Drift into Loneliness and How to Fight for a Life of Friendship\u00a0(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2023), 9-10. For the cigarette statistic, he cites \u201cTrue: \u2018Long-Term Loneliness Is as Damaging to Your Health as Smoking 15 Cigarettes a Day,\u2019\u201d EU Fact Check, April 27, 2020,\u00a0eufactcheck.eu\/factcheck\/true-long-term-loneliness-is-as-damaging-to-your-health-as-smoking-15-cigarettes-a-day\/.
10. Jay Y. Kim,\u00a0Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age\u00a0(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2020), 83.
11. Kim,\u00a0Analog Church, 108.
12. Steve Wingfield with Michelle L. W. Curlin,\u00a0The Friendship Book\u00a0(Nashville: World Publishing, 2004), Logos edition, no page number.<\/p>\n

Originally published at The Worldview Bulletin Newsletter.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Christopher L. Reese\u00a0(MDiv, ThM) is a writer, editor, and journalist. He is the founder and editor of\u00a0The Worldview Bulletin\u00a0and a general editor of the\u00a0Dictionary of Christianity and Science\u00a0(Zondervan, 2017) and\u00a0Three Views on Christianity and Science\u00a0(Zondervan, 2021). His work has appeared in\u00a0Christianity Today, Bible Gateway, Beliefnet, Summit Ministries, and other sites. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Christopher L. Reese, Op-ed contributor Wednesday, December 31, 2025iStock\/Happy Kikky As Christians, when we consider New Year\u2019s resolutions, we often think about reading the Bible more, praying more often, or maybe getting more involved in our church. Those are all wonderful things worthy of pursuing. But rather than taking time to expound on those,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14690,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[3261,4412,471],"class_list":{"0":"post-14689","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-christian-living","8":"tag-resolutions","9":"tag-soulnourishing","10":"tag-years"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14689"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14689\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}