“If Jesus made a New Year’s resolution for me, it would probably be to clean my room without being told,” says Caleb, 8. “Or at least not just shove everything under the bed.”
Most parents would say “Amen!” to that one. We don’t often think of Jesus as being interested in whether our socks are under the bed, but He does care about how we live our everyday lives. Small things like obedience, kindness and honesty matter because they reflect what’s in our hearts.
“If Jesus made a resolution for me, I think it would be to love people more,” says Mia, 10. “Even when they’re annoying.”
Mia gets right to the point. Loving people who are easy to love is simple. Loving the kids who cut in line, the people who don’t say thank you, or the sibling who takes the last cookie, that’s where things get tough. But Jesus calls us to something bigger: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself ” (Matthew 22:39). A resolution from Jesus almost always starts with love.
“Jesus would want me to forgive people faster,” says Ella, 11. “Like, not hold a grudge for two weeks.”
Forgiveness might not be at the top of anyone’s New Year’s list, but it’s always near the top of God’s. Jesus said, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25).
When we hold grudges, we’re like kids carrying heavy backpacks full of rocks. It just weighs us down. Forgiving others doesn’t mean what they did is OK, but it means we’re giving the hurt to God.
Forgiveness is at the very core of trusting Christ as savior. Because Jesus bore all of our sins on the cross, Christians are a forgiven people. Jesus’ forgiveness of our sins should prompt us to forgive others.
“If Jesus made a resolution for me, He’d want me to talk to Him more,” says Jaxon, 7. “And not just when I need something.”
Jesus invites us to talk with Him every day about everything. Prayer isn’t a chore; it’s a conversation with the One who loves us most. A resolution to pray more isn’t just about asking. It’s also about listening. Prayer should be a means to experience God’s presence.
“Jesus would want me to stop worrying so much,” says Lily, 10.
Jesus actually made that one of His main teachings: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things” (Matthew 6:34). Lily reminds us that trusting Jesus means believing He’s in control.
The good news is that Jesus doesn’t just hand us a list of resolutions and say, “Good luck!” He gives us new hearts and the power of His Spirit to help us grow. Every day is a new beginning with Him, not just Jan. 1.
Think About This: Jesus cares more about who he made you as a new creature in Christ than He does about your accomplishments or failures. He knows that how you live will flow from the way you see yourself as His beloved child in union with His beloved Son. Living in God’s love and from His fruit-of-the-Spirit resources is life’s greatest adventure.
Memorize This Truth: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:2223).
Ask This Question: If you constantly remind yourself that your value comes from being in Christ as His beloved child and not from your achievements or failures, how will this change your outlook for the coming year?
— Kids Talk About God is designed for families to study the Bible together. Research shows that parents who study the Bible with their children give their character, faith and spiritual life a powerful boost. To receive Kids Talk About God three times a week in a free, email subscription, visit www. KidsTalkAboutGod.org/email. Bible quotations are from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.
© 2026 Carey Kinsolving
