Today, we're pleased to share with you an audio essay written and read by Jen Oshman, entitled

Unpacking New Year, New Me.

Jen Oshman's book is Cultural Counterfeits, Confronting Five Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made for so much more.

Unpacking New Year, New Me, written and read by Jen Oshman.

I like to make New Year's resolutions as much as anyone.

I declare, with many Americans every January, New Year, new me. My resolutions, like most,

surround my physical and spiritual health, as well as investing more time in things that matter,

like family, and avoiding spending time on things that don't, like my iPhone screen.

Studies show that almost 40% of American adults make New Year's resolutions. We're all captivated by the flip of the calendar and a fresh start. New beginnings pull like gravity.

Exercising more is the top New Year's resolution for Americans, with 48% of resolution makers setting that as their

primary goal. The next top five resolutions are eating healthier, losing weight, saving more money,

pursuing a career ambition, and spending less time on social media. While our collective declaration

of New Year, New Me is powerful on January 1st,

it loses strength and steam quickly. The second Friday in January is known as Quidders Day,

because so many of us give up by then. Only 9% of us successfully carry our goals to completion.

What's true behind New Year, New Me?

The desire to remake ourselves is universal because being made in the image of God, Genesis

127, His truth resonates with us. It's innate within us. And especially here in the U.S.,

where our culture and values have been historically shaped by Christian influences, we have a

collective worldview that borrows biblical truth. Here are three examples of biblical truth hidden inside the phrase New Year,

new me. First, we understand our lives are limited. Americans declare YOLO, you only live once.

We know and feel the brevity of life. Whether we acknowledge it or not, that's a biblical

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