New Year, New You

New year, new you! This is a phrase commonly touted at the beginning of every year by gyms, supplement companies, diet programs, health gurus, life coaches, and other outlets that promise “you’ll be a whole new person by the end of January!” All you have to do is buy our products, join our gym, follow our eating plan, or hire us to fix you. Easy, right? 

But how often does that success last for the long term? If we’re not careful, we can try to apply this ‘get fixed quick’ idea to our spiritual lives. We know where we want to be, and we want to get there as quickly as possible. The new year is an easy time to gear up and get started. After all, we’re re-thinking a lot of things this time of year, and motivation runs high.

We have to remember that growth takes time. It is a process. It’s not a “one-and-done”. 

2 Peter 1:5-7 tells us to add to our faith virtue, then knowledge, then temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. These things build on one another. They aren’t acquired in a day, or even a month of really good effort. They develop in us over time as we surrender ourselves to the will and Word of God, applying His principles to the situations we face in daily life. 

The Christian life is compared to a race that is run with patience, not a sprint that is run with a short burst of energy and over in a matter of moments. (Like most resolutions seem to be!) Yes, make goals for the new year, but plan for them to take time to accomplish. Be committed to making lasting change.

Be SMART about setting spiritual goals: 
Specific: If you make your goal too generic, you won’t know where to focus, and could flounder and give up.
Measurable: You want to see progress, so make sure your goal is something you can track. 
Attainable: Be realistic. You can’t memorize the whole Bible in a week, but a verse per week is totally doable! 
Relevant: Ask God what area needs the most attention in your walk with Christ and start there. 
Timely: Set a timeframe in which to accomplish your goals, and check yourself at regular intervals. Make adjustments as needed. 

The better equipped we are with a plan, the better our chances of success. If we don’t leave our family, our schedule, or our financial plans to chance, why would we do so with something as important as our spiritual health? Happy New Year, and may you make much of Jesus in 2023!