Writer Leanne Evans-Harknett invites us to pause and reconsider how we step into a new year, especially when January feels full of noise and expectation. She points us toward a quieter beginning rooted in God’s presence, trust, and rest.
January can feel loud. Before we’ve even had time to catch our breath, or put away the last of the Christmas chocolate, we’re surrounded by messages urging us to plan, push, and reinvent ourselves. New goals. New habits. A “better” version of who we were last year.
It’s no wonder many of us feel a mix of emotions, excited by the possibilities a new year can bring, yet also pressured, overwhelmed, and already feeling behind. As Christian women, however, we are offered a different way of beginning the year. One that isn’t driven by urgency or comparison, but shaped by God’s presence, peace, and timing.
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So rather than feeling caught in the middle,between rest and readiness, between God’s stillness and the world’s demands, between trusting His will and trying to manage our own, how can we begin to create a different new year narrative?
Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me” (John 15:4, NIV).
When life feels overwhelming, seeking God can feel like something we’ll get to later.
When life feels overwhelming, seeking God can feel like something we’ll get to later. After the emails. After the lists. After everyone else’s needs are met. But abiding isn’t another task to complete, it’s about relationship.
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Think back to your first love. You found time because you wanted to. You listened. You learned. You stayed close. God invites us into that same closeness with him, not out of obligation, but desire.
When we begin the year rooted in his presence, fruitfulness follows naturally.
Pause and reflect:** What gentle, life-giving ways could I seek God’s presence more this year?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5, NIV).
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We often say we trust God, but January has a way of revealing where we still want control. Vision boards and goal-setting can be helpful, but they can also quietly carry the message that everything depends on, as if one perfectly colour-coded planner could finally fix everything.
Trusting God doesn’t mean abandoning wisdom or preparation.
Trusting God doesn’t mean abandoning wisdom or preparation. It means holding our plans lightly and believing that God is at work even when the path ahead isn’t clear. He sees the whole picture, including the parts we can’t yet imagine.
Pause and reflect:** What am I being invited to surrender to God as this year begins?**
Much of our January overwhelm comes from feeling like we need to do it all, keep every resolution, create new routines, and set the year up “properly.” But God doesn’t invite us into constant striving. He invites us into rest. Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, NIV).
Rest isn’t something we earn once everything is finished. It’s a choice we make, a way of saying, “God, I trust You to work even when I stop.” Choosing rest isn’t falling behind; it’s learning to walk at God’s pace.
Pause and reflect:** Where could I create more space for rest this year?**
A fruitful year doesn’t come from pushing harder. It grows from staying close to God. As we choose presence over pressure, trust over control, and rest over hustle, we allow God to shape our days in quieter, deeper ways. When we begin the year with God rather than the noise, we move forward with a strong foundation, one that allows us to experience a year marked by peace, joy, and steady purpose.
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