As we stand at the threshold of 2026, many of us approach the new year with the usual checklist: healthier eating, more consistent Bible reading, or career milestones. While these are noble pursuits, there is a higher calling—goals we cannot achieve by our own strength, but only by His power and grace.
To “dare” is to venture into the difficult. But by the grace of God, we are invited to embrace three resolutions that defy our own strength and lean entirely on the Divine.
1. Dare to Say No to “Favorite Sins
We often live in a state of selective morality. We are quick to condemn the “major” transgressions of others—violence or public scandals—while remaining comfortable with our own “favorite sins.”
Whether it is a habit of gossiping, a lingering grudge, a flicker of lust, or the subtle pull of greed, we often treat these “favorite sins” as excusable personality traits rather than weights that ensnare us.
Hebrews 12: 1-4 reminds us that we are surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses.” These are not just historical figures; they are proof of possibility. Joseph proves that sexual integrity is possible; Moses proves that choosing God over power and wealth is possible.
This year, the dare is to stop making excuses. No sin is too deeply rooted to be overcome, and no person is too weak to resist when anchored in grace.
2. Dare to Claim the Impossible
Often, our prayers are limited by what we think is “realistic.” But the God of the Bible is not a God of the realistic; He is the God of the impossible.
Consider Joshua, who needed more daylight to finish a battle and dared to ask the sun to stand still. Consider Mary, who looked at an empty wine cellar during a wedding in Cana and dared to expect a miracle from her Son. These were not acts of presumption, but responses to real, urgent needs.
If you are facing a “Red Sea” moment—a health crisis with no known cure or a financial wall that seems immovable—dare to ask.
Our personal histories are often written in the moments where God shows up just when we reach the end of our own resources.
3. Dare to Move Forward Despite All
Perhaps the hardest dare of all is the command given to Moses: “Tell the children of Israel to go forward.”
We often want to wait for the waters to part before we start walking. We want the budget secured, the grief healed, or the path cleared before we take a step. But divine progress often requires movement in the middle of the mystery.
Pastor Watland Francois, a minister from Haiti, shared a personal experience about going through an injury that left him blind in his right eye and caused a visible misalignment (strabismus) when he was ten.
For 23 years, he lived and served as a pastor with only one functioning eye, keeping the extent of his disability a secret from even his parents to spare them pain. He prayed for healing at his baptism, but nothing happened.
Despite God’s silence, he kept moving forward. He even lived with the discomfort while completing his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
Finally, after moving to the Philippines at age 33, God led him to a medical intervention where he underwent three surgeries. His vision was restored, and his eyes were aligned. God showed up in His own time—but the speaker had to keep moving for two decades before that time arrived.
Moving forward doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid; it means your mandate is bigger than your fear. One decision at a time, one prayer at a time, we keep walking because we know who is guiding the journey.
The year 2026 does not have to be a repeat of the past. By His grace, we can say “no” to what holds us back, “yes” to the impossible, and “forward” to where God has called us.
The objectives are high, and the road may be tough, but we do not walk it alone. May this be the year you dare to see what God can do when you finally stop relying on yourself.
𝘈𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘪𝘴, 𝘋.𝘔𝘪𝘯., 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘑𝘢𝘯. 14, 2026, 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 third 𝘥𝘢𝘺 of the 𝘌𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳.
Lyn Lucero ⎸ East Central Philippine Union Conference