As we embark upon the New Year, and new beginning, we all need to have one resolve—that we will do better this year. Last year left many people in a rut. Some experienced severe disappointment in terms of death, loss of employment, and those dark reflections that cause deep regret. Others failed to follow through on resolutions. Rather than accomplishing goals, circumstances set them back and distracted them. Many procrastinators have found themselves at the beginning of this year in the same place as they were at the beginning of last year.

There are a few of us who made some progress, but even those of us who fall into this category can stand some improvement. In Psalm 51, we see a remorseful David, a man after God’s own heart, who had committed adultery and had the woman’s husband killed. He needed to do better, and he knew it. This is why he confessed that he had sinned and needed restoration from his wrongdoings. He had a desire to do better. David’s prayer can be summed up in these words: “I gotta do better.” This is good news for the sinner. Regardless of what we have done, if we truly repent of our sins, we can do better. We can change from bad to good, from sad to happy, from fallen to forgiven. All of us, this year, have a mandate over our lives to do better.

There is always another level to go. Those of us with regrets cannot live in the past. We have to accept our losses, trust God, and move forward. There is something better in store for us. Anyone who fell off the wagon has to get back on track, even it means starting from the beginning.

For the procrastinator, there is the grace of God that has permitted more time to get better. Know that as we reflect on our lives wherever we are, God wants us to improve, to go to the next level. He wants us to do better. This is why it is not up to God for us to get better. It is all up to us. No one can stop us from doing better. Only our fears, worries, and doubts can. If we truly want to do better, all we have to do is believe and actualize our faith in the power of grace. That can make anyone better.

This year, we need to make better choices, and get rid of things and people that do not make us better. We are better off without them. Instead, they bring out the worse in us. How many times have we found ourselves thinking that we cannot do any better or get any better? How many times have we said to ourselves in blind complacency that things cannot get better than this? There is no limit to what God can do. Since there is no limit to what God can, there is no limit to what we can do. When we start thinking like this, our desire to do better will be more than talk—we will turn it into action. We will also see that we are doing better than what we thought.

This year let us commit to ourselves to do better. Let us live better. Let us talk better. Let us pray more, read our Bibles more, and fast more. We can do better, and we must do better if we truly want to be in the will of God. The devil will try to convince us that things are too bad to get better.

The truth is things can always get better, and we can always do better. The best is yet to come. I gotta do better.