A New Year. A New You?
How did you do last year? Think back to the resolutions you made last January and for just one moment evaluate how you did. Did you fail, succeed or somewhere in the middle? Maybe you decided to never make those blasted resolutions ever again. But, for those of you who haven’t sworn them off for the rest of your lives and are willing to give it another shot, here are some things to consider.
How to make sure you are successful with your resolutions:
1. Don’t make goals. You can’t fail if you don’t try. Isn’t that a Wayne Gretzky quote?
2. Make things you are currently doing your new goals. Examples- brushing your teeth, going to work, drink coffee every day.
3. Keep them super vague and unspecific. Examples- be kinder, be more grateful, eat less fast food.
Honestly though, this time of year it is very convenient to decide to turn over a new leaf and get serious about things we may have been neglecting. So I offer you a few things to remember when making “New Years Resolutions”:
1. God’s love isn’t dependent on your new you. Every year I get super excited about what I am gong to do spiritually. Maybe it’s just subconsciously, but I usually think that this year God is going to be really proud of me. Then a month or so in (when the wheels have fallen off), I start to think, “Oh no, now God must really be disappointed in me.” Let’s start this year remembering that Romans 8:1 is true today. Because of Jesus, we already are fully loved. We can’t gain more of the Father’s love and we can’t lose any. No matter how this year goes, God is fully pleased with us because of our imputed righteousness that Christ gifted to us when we believed. That is great news and a solid foundation to begin a few new habits.
2. The goal is making good things a priority. Each year I tend to set the bar so very high. I start each year thinking, “This year is going to be amazing.” Yet again I set myself up only to fail. The bar is set so high that there is no way I can keep up with my own demands at the pace I set them. As you set goals this year, remember the purpose is to do a little better than we did last year, to become more consistent with our spiritual habits. We believe that God changes people and he is the only one that can change us. Our job is to cooperate and be obedient. Also, set goals that aren’t affected when you get behind. Make goals that on June 1st, after a month of inactivity, you could get back into. An example would be to read through the Bible in a year. That goal gets harder as time goes by. A better goal would be to read your Bible 5 days a week. That way even the last week of December you can still fulfill your goal instead of completely giving up.
3. Accountability is the key to success. Just like any goal, if you have someone in it with you, your success rate goes way up. Find someone who will team up with you to do these things along with you. We understand this strategy when it come to fitness, but so many of us think our spiritual life is an individual sport. One of the greatest things I have ever been involved in was a small group of guys who met weekly for encouragement and accountability. That weekly gathering was so beneficial for so many things, one of them being positive peer-pressure. So right now, think of a few friends you could ask to join you. I bet you they would love the challenge/opportunity.
A few resolutions to consider in case you are coming up blank:
1. Read the Bible daily. Maybe get a devotional to go along with it.
2. Eat 1 meal a day with your family. This time is so meaningful and precious. Sit around the table with no electronics and talk about your day.
3. Make community a priority. Join a lighthouse or stay active in your lighthouse. You need them and they need you.
4. Serve in a ministry. There is so much joy in serving and many times you don’t understand until you experience it.
Write your own recommendations in the comments below. I would love to get some from you!