With a new year on the horizon, many of us begin thinking about resolutions. The idea itself is not new. More than 4,000 years ago, the ancient Babylonians made yearly promises to repay debts and return borrowed items. The Romans later adopted the practice, shifting it to January and focusing on commitments to improve one’s behavior in the coming year.
Centuries later, American theologian Jonathan Edwards added his own influence. Though his well-known list of 70 resolutions was not specifically tied to New Year’s Day, his concept of personal resolutions caught on and has endured.
So, what will your resolution be for 2026? If you do not yet have one, may I offer a suggestion?
We all know how precious family is—even when certain relatives test our patience from time to time. But what about friends? Centuries ago, Euripides said, “One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.” How are you doing in the friendship department? I count myself blessed with a number of dear friends.
I have written before about my best friend from high school, Tom. Though life has taken him all over the country, we have remained close through the years. He is the kind of friend who would drop everything if I needed him, and I would do the same for him. Friendships like that do not happen by accident; they are gifts from God that we nurture over a lifetime. Walter Winchell once said, “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
A dear friend is incredibly valuable in life—someone who understands you and truly “gets” you. Even Socrates recognized the value of friendship, saying, “There is no possession more valuable than a good and faithful friend.”
Scripture offers a beautiful example in Onesiphorus—not a name you hear every day. It is pronounced “oh-nee-SIF-or-us,” with emphasis on the second syllable. He was one of the seventy-two Jesus sent out to share the Gospel (Luke 10:1–24). Onesiphorus eventually partnered with the Apostle Paul, and the two became true brothers in Christ and close friends.
Later, when the Apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome, Onesiphorus made the long, difficult, and dangerous 1,000-mile journey from Ephesus to find him. He crossed seas and continents, facing the anti-Christian policies of Emperor Nero’s Rome, simply to stand beside his friend. Paul wrote that Onesiphorus “refreshed” him and “searched hard for me until he found me” (2 Timothy 1:16–18). What a legacy of friendship.
So here is my resolution suggestion for 2026: expand your circle of friends. You truly cannot have too many.
How do you begin? Step out a little. Be open to new connections. Join a club or volunteer group. Say yes to invitations, even when you are tempted to stay home. Be approachable. Ask questions. Offer compliments. And above all, listen well. Good listeners make great friends.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”
Let 2026 be the year you welcome a few new footprints on your heart.
John C. Perry is the Lay Leader at New Life Methodist Church. They meet every Sunday at 9 a.m. (Bible Study) and 10 a.m. (Worship Service) at Salado Middle School, 1169 Williams Rd.
