Rise. What a word to focus on heading into a brand-new year.

A few weeks ago the world was fixated on midnight, waiting for the clock to change and send us into 2017. And I get it... it's easy to get caught up in the celebration of saying goodbye to the old and hello to something new and so full of promise. 

But if we're honest with each other, I think we all know that there is nothing magical about midnight. Midnight doesn't erase the past 365 days, doesn't wipe the slate clean of all the pain or hard things that filled the year before. Truth be told, most of us carried into 2017 the same things we struggled with in 2016. And if no one has told you yet this year: that's okay. Because while midnight unfortunately does not make all things new, it does bring to the fore the promise and possibility of change and healing and hope. 

I don't know what ache it is that followed you into the new year. Maybe it's the loss of someone you loved, a relationship that fell apart, an illness, family drama, problems at work, emotional turmoil, depression, anxiety over the future--I don't know for sure, but I'd be willing to bet that everyone who reads this has at least one thing they just can't seem to shake, despite the changing years. So what do we do with that? When even a new year can't erase the hurt and we seem to be stuck with it, how do we keep going? 

The more time that passes, the more it becomes clear to me that we really only have two options in these moments: we can lie down and accept defeat... or we can get up and choose to rise. In every difficult situation, we are gifted the opportunity to stare hardship in the face and choose to rise above it, choose to say it doesn't get the final word over our lives. 2017 will no doubt be beautiful and full of opportunity, but for many of us it will also have its share of heartache and discouragement. Choosing to rise above the hurt is the only way to get through moments like that, making rise the perfect theme for the new year. 

Lucky for us, there are quite a few artists who have also focused on this theme over recent years. Inspired by Danny Gokey's new record Rise releasing this week, we've compiled a list of our top 7 favorite songs to encourage you as you rise in 2017. 

1. Danny Gokey: "Rise"
"Rise / breaking the dark, piercing the night / you're made to shine / an army of hope bringing the world a radiant light." After "Hope In Front Of Me" impacted fans so deeply, it was only natural that Danny Gokey's sophomore album's title track would be a home-run too. Born out of his own battle with depression, "Rise" is the theme of his new record. The song has already seen a strong connection with listeners as it encourages them to leave the past behind them and step boldly into who God created them to be. "My hope is that it will inspire you and give you strength to RISE above the things that are pulling you down and trying to stop you from being all that God has for you. YOU were made to be a radiant light of hope to those around you," Danny says of the song.

2. NEEDTOBREATHE: "Rise Again"
In one of my all-time favorite NEEDTOBREATHE tracks, Bear's raspy vocals sing out encouragement for those who feel stuck: "Oh I know I'm gonna rise again / set my sights on where I'm going and my goodbyes to where I've been."

3. Skillet: "Rise"
The title track from their powerhouse 2013 concept album, Skillet's "Rise" is a heavy-hitting rocker that empowers listeners: "And when the scars heal, the pain passes / As hope burns, we rise from the ashes / Darkness fades away and the light shines on a brave new day." 

4. Matt Maher: "Rise Up"
Known for his worship anthems and bold lyrics of faith, Matt Maher brings us another one of my personal favorites: "When the dark holds you and you can't break through 'cause you haven't seen the light / open up your eyes / you've got to rise up, rise up when this life has got you down." 
 
5. Shawn McDonald: "Rise"
"I will rise out of these ashes, rise / from this trouble I've found and this rubble on the ground, I will rise / cause He who is in me is greater than I will ever be and I will rise." Shawn McDonald encourages listeners with this acoustic-pop styled tune that speaks of the power of Christ in us, enabling us to keep moving even through pain and times of trouble.
 
6. Disciple: "Rise Up"
Giving a bit of a different perspective on what it looks like to rise, this 2005 rock track from Kevin Young and the Disciple crew sends a message of perseverance in the face of mocking and persecution: "I will not stand silently by as you mock and curse my God / Stand against Him; you will be brought down / Here I come, I'm 'bout to rise up." 
 
7. Steven Curtis Chapman: "Beauty Will Rise" 
An autobiographical song for Steven Curtis Chapman after the tragic loss of his daughter, "Beauty Will Rise" is a heartfelt reminder of the promise we have from God to make beauty out of our brokenness: "But buried deep beneath all our broken dreams, we have this hope / out of the ashes, beauty will rise, and we will dance among the ruins."