Did you know that the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions started over 4000 years ago with the Ancient Babylonians, possibly as an offering to their pagan gods? This custom was passed down to the ancient Romans. It continued through the Middle Ages and developed into our modern resolutions. Today, these resolutions mainly focus on self-improvement, such as losing weight, exercising more, learning a new skill, and managing finances.

Are you planning to start the New Year with a spoken or unspoken resolution? If so, you’re not alone. Like millions of other Americans, I’ve promised myself I will exercise more in the new year. I’ve also adopted another resolution that will help me share my faith with my family.

This blog’s purpose is to share New Year’s resolutions or goals that help grandparents like you successfully pass down a legacy of faith in Christ Jesus to the next generation. 

Suggested Resolutions for Christian Grandparents:

It’s important to remember that you cannot give what you don’t have. To pass down a strong legacy of faith, you must make sure you are walking closely with the Lord. Therefore, this list includes suggestions that will help you draw nearer to Christ.

• Spend time with God and read the Bible daily.
• Share your salvation story with at least one member of your family this year.
• Choose to forgive a family member who hurt you.
• Pray daily for one of your grandchildren by name.
• Resurrect a family tradition or start a new one.
• Read The Blessing book by Gary Smalley and John Trent.
• Give a spoken blessing to our children and grandchildren.
• Text your grandchildren weekly to ask them how you can specifically pray for them.
• Join a Bible study.
• Commit to reading the Bible in a Year.
• Memorize one verse or passage of Scripture each week.
• Volunteer to help with children’s Sunday school at your home church.
• Start writing your memoir, beginning either with your salvation story or your moment closest to Christ.
• Read a book about what it means to be a godly grandparent. (One of my personal favorites is Discipling Your Grandchildren by Dr. Josh Mulvihill.)
• Start a prayer journal for your grandchildren.
• Invite your grandchildren to join you when you deliver canned goods to the food pantry.
• Write a letter every month to your grandchildren who live far away.
• Start a Grandparents @ Prayer (G@P) group.
• Sign up for a conference for grandparents.
• Observe the Lord’s Day.
• Sign up for a Thirty-Day Prayer Challenge. https://christiangrandparenting.com/free-resources/ 
• Volunteer to help a grandmother who is raising her grandchildren by providing a meal, tutoring, babysitting, etc.

Recommendations:

1. Choose a resolution that is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. (The SMART acronym.)
2. Break up lofty goals into smaller ones, so you don’t become discouraged and quit.
3. Share your godly grandparenting resolutions with some friends and ask them to join you and/or pray for you.
4. Ask God for wisdom to assess your resolutions. Allow yourself to adjust or change them, if necessary.
5. Remember that God’s “mercies never come to an end; they are new each morning” (Lamentations 3:23, NIV). Give yourself grace. If you fail, start again.

I mentioned earlier that I plan to start the New Year with two resolutions: one to exercise more and another to help me share my faith with my family. My second resolution, which might be the more difficult one to keep, is to be more diligent in maintaining my prayer journal for each of our grandchildren. I’ve promised myself that I will write one prayer a week for one of our seven grandchildren. My goal is SMART; it’s specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Please pray for me in this endeavor.

I can’t help but wonder. Have you decided on a New Year’s resolution that will help you become more intentional about sharing your faith? It’s not too late; after all, 2026 is still a few days away.