2015—Say what?! That’s 365 days of endless possibilities—and it’s just 2 days away. We can’t wait to see what God has in store for 2015. We recognize how little time is spent pausing during this time of year so before pulling out the party hats and confetti cannons, here’s a few helpful tips for ringing in the new year right.
Step back so you can lean in. We’re so quick to hit the fast forward button on life, to coast into new seasons without looking back—perhaps missing some of the sweetest moments for reflection on all that God, our author, has done in the last 12 months. To bring clarity to areas that need redefining, step back and reflect—we’re able to get a better vantage point on the areas in our lives where we’ve grown and where we need to grow.
Make room for more of Jesus. We’re busy, cluttered, and overstretched. You might have a pile of junk you’ve been meaning to get rid of or loose ends that need to be tidied. We’re so accustomed to stock piling our lives with activities. We can feel like we have no time or space for us to see, hear, or feel God’s presence in our lives. Think about rescuing 30 minutes of your day. Maybe that looks like getting up 30 minutes earlier or cutting one extra TV show at night. What has to go so you can further your walk with Christ?
Set goals that are bigger than you. We’re not calling it a New Year’s Resolution for a reason—cause let’s all be honest—how often does follow through happen past January 15th, really? Instead, we can increase our success rate by setting small, tangible milestones that lead to a larger goal that we’ve set. Take the wisdom of knowing our areas of weakness/strengths and the room in our lives for more of the important stuff. Ask God to reveal what His goals may be for you this year. Dig deep and set goals that will require you to lean into Him often.
Share the journey. Don’t become lonely in the endeavor. Going solo will only amplify chances of defeat. Be vulnerable enough to share the story with others. It’ll help others to pray for you better and they will likely want to hear progress reports, which serves as a great accountability tool for sticking with the goals set for 2015.
We’re doing this right now, as a church, at Renovation. We’re experiencing the same steps and we couldn’t be more encouraged by what God’s done to bring us into this new season. The goals are big but not too big for our great and gracious God.
"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace." - Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
What goals are you setting this year? Leave a comment below.
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