Tag Archives: New Year’s Resolution

Get Back to the Basics

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Get Back to the Basics

As we are a couple of weeks into the new year, several people are making new commitments, forming new habits, and strengthening spiritual disciplines. Sometimes, I find it helpful to revisit the basics and/or review or remind myself of some things that can be helpful.

Below are some links to revisit some of the basics via some of our previous posts. (You can also find these posts via the “New to the Faith? / The Basics” page on the blog’s menu.)

  • Look over the list of posts and see if any stand out to you, fit with some of your goals for this year, or may help you strengthen some spiritual disciplines.
  • Even, if you’ve read the post(s) before, it’s often helpful to get a refresher, and many times the Holy Spirit might point out something that wasn’t necessarily prominent or as meaningful the first time around. I find this to be true when I re-listen to sermons or podcasts as well.
  • You might also consider sharing a post or two with someone that comes to mind as you read through the links. You never know what might be helpful for others as they strengthen their own spiritual disciplines. Sometimes we all could use a boost in the basics.

Learn and Grow in the Christian Faith

A Christian’s purpose and mission in life is to continue to become and live like Jesus. It is possible! In fact, we are told to do so in several places in scripture. Jesus even says numerous times, “Follow Me…” It is said that there are recurring 4 phases of a journey that every Christian goes through: Know God (learning), Grow in Freedom (fixing broken stuff in our lives), Discover Purpose (discovering and using your God-given gifts and talents and life experiences), and Go Make Disciples, Go Make a Difference (helping others grow and making a difference in the world).

Can I Really Live Like Jesus?

Resources and Tools

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Reasons for Writing Goals Down

Why should we be writing goals down? Well, there are numerous reasons and benefits to writing goals down, and I’m going to share some of them with you (along with a few resources and studies to back them up so you’ll know I’m not just blowing smoke!).

Reasons for Writing Goals Down

At the start of each year, many people start thinking about some goals that they would like to accomplish. It might be specific resolutions or things related to a yearly word or theme. However, those goals often get forgotten or written off a few months into the new year. So what’s the point?  Why should we be writing goals down?  Well, there are numerous reasons and benefits to writing goals down, and I’m going to share some of them with you (along with a few resources and studies to back them up so you’ll know I’m not just making it up).

A to-do list for life

First, it’s important to set and write goals out because they become our “to-do” list for life.  I don’t know about you, but I’m a “to-do” list fanatic (read more about the importance of to-do lists here.)  Thus, I thrive on to-do lists (post-it notes, phone reminders, calendar notes, etc.).  I LOVE crossing stuff off of lists. Goals are no different.  The feeling of achieving a goal and crossing it off of a list is amazing!

Accountability and focus

It’s also important that we are writing goals down because they give us something concrete to look at, and they serve as a form of accountability.  There’s something about writing something down that makes you feel like “ok, now I HAVE to do it”.  Writing goals down brings them into sharper focus.  Having to write our goals out forces us to clarify them and focus on what it is that we really want.

A road map and grocery list analogy

Writing goals down is kind of like taking a road map on a trip or making a grocery list before going to the store.  It helps us to have a focused plan.  We can determine how to get there and have a clear direction.  It can also save us some stress and help us to be more efficient (saving time and money).

I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m directionally challenged.  Therefore I NEED a map (well, now it’s GPS guidance) to get me places…because if I don’t have a map I may end up in Montana instead of Florida if I’m driving to Disneyworld.  And the grocery store?  Don’t even get me started!  I actually have an app on my phone that keeps my grocery list, and it’s even ordered by aisle and has prices I’ve entered for each item so I can stay on budget.  I might be a little compulsive, but at least it’s an app now—I used to do an Excel spreadsheet for my grocery list.  Don’t judge me. 🙂

Without my list, I’m all over the store, thus wasting time.  I buy things I don’t need, thus wasting money, or I forget things I do need, thus wasting time AND money by having to make a second trip back to the store.  So, much like my grocery list, if I don’t write down my goals I could be wasting precious time, money, and energy going off in all sorts of wrong directions.

Research backs the effectiveness of goal-writing

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A Yearly Theme or Word Instead of Resolutions

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A Yearly Theme or Word Instead of Resolutions

It’s that time of year when many people set New Year’s Resolutions. Getting a fresh start and taking inventory or assessment (like we discussed here) are not bad ideas. It’s good to take time to rejoice over victories and lessons learned while still seeking out areas needing growth and improvement. A time for personal inventory and new commitments can be important in your accountability to the Lord. We can see many examples throughout scripture where people set apart time for personal reflection.

However, as I’ve mentioned in previous years, I usually like to come up with a yearly theme or word instead of writing resolutions. I have found this to be a lot more powerful, effective, and productive both personally and especially spiritually. I originally got this idea from a Bible devotional that I read on my YouVersion Bible app, called “One Word That Will Change Your Life”. It was a quick, simple 4-day reading plan. This has changed how I usually approach the new year now, and my focus on a yearly theme tends to last all year as opposed to a fleeting, failing, or temporary resolution.

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.” Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)

“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT)

Take Some of the Following Practical Steps to Pick a Yearly Theme or Word and Then Focus on it Over the Year:

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A Yearly Theme Instead of Resolutions

A Yearly Theme Instead of Resolutions title image

A Yearly Theme Instead of Resolutions

It’s that time of year when many people set New Year’s Resolutions. Getting a fresh start and taking inventory or assessment (like we discussed last week) are not a bad idea. It’s good to take time to rejoice over victories and lessons learned while still seeking out areas needing growth and improvement. A time for personal inventory and new commitments can be important in your accountability to the Lord. We can see many examples throughout scripture where people set apart time for personal reflection.

However, as I’ve mentioned in previous years, I usually like to come up with a yearly theme or word instead of writing resolutions. I have found this to be a lot more powerful, effective, and productive both personally and especially spiritually. I originally got this idea from a Bible devotional that I read on my YouVersion Bible app, called “One Word That Will Change Your Life”. It was a quick, simple 4-day reading plan. This has changed how I usually approach the new year now, and my focus on a yearly theme tends to last all year as opposed to a fleeting, failing, or temporary resolution.

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.” Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)

“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT)

Take Some of the Following Practical Steps to Pick a Yearly Theme and Then Focus on it Over the Year:

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One Word for the Year

One Word for the Year

One Word for the Year

We’re currently mid-January of 2020. Statistically, within the next couple of weeks nearly half of people who made New Year’s Resolutions will have already broken them. Honestly, I haven’t done “official” resolutions for quite some time now, much for that reason. Instead for the past several years, I’ve approached the New Year in a different way. I come up with one word, kind of a theme word, to focus on for the year.

The idea is to come up with a one word vision to focus on for the entire year. I got the idea from a bible devotional that I read on my YouVersion Bible app, called “One Word That Will Change Your Life”. It was a quick, simple 4-day reading plan. “Change your life” was a bit of a dramatic claim. I can’t say I experienced any life-altering evolutions, but subtle changes, yes. I’m a firm believer that lasting change happens little by little anyway. However, it truly did change how I approached the New Year, and my focus truly did last all year as opposed to a fleeting and failing resolution.

How does a person pick their word for the year? Ideally, God will reveal your word to you as opposed to you just randomly picking one. However, I think that even if you struggle with determining if your “one word” is truly divinely inspired (as I did one year) or even if you just pick a word that seems good, I believe that God will work with that to teach, grow, mold, and change you over the year. Try to listen for God to speak to you about your word.

How I came up with my one word each year

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Do You Have Your Theme Word for the Year?

Do You Have Your Theme Word for the Year?

Do You Have Your Theme Word for the Year?

Last year I wrote a post on coming up with one word or a theme word for the year. This is what I do each year instead of New Year’s resolutions. The idea is to come up with a theme word, preferably one that God reveals to us, that we will focus on for the year. The process to come up with our theme word consists of evaluating the previous year, spending some time in prayer asking God for direction, listening to God and paying attention during quiet times and bible readings, and looking for anything that stands out or has a pattern or repetition. Through this process (which could take a couple of days up to a couple of weeks), a word is revealed, and that sets our course and focus for the upcoming year.

Today I thought I’d share this recent process for me to hopefully give you a practical, tangible example of what that looked like in action for me.

First I started the reading plan again

Each year, I go through the 4-day devotional reading plan on the YouVersion Bible app, called “One Word That Will Change Your Life”. This plan gives more in depth instructions, daily meditation verses, and guidance on deciding my one word or theme word. I could probably do without the plan at this point, but it’s nice to have a step-by-step guide or plan to fall back on. I actually started this on New Year’s Eve this time which is a little earlier than usual for me.

I went in thinking that I probably wouldn’t come up with my word right away and especially not in the four days it would take to go through the reading plan. Primarily I believed this because that’s what happened last year! It took me a couple of weeks to really “find” my word because I really wanted to be led by God instead of just picking a word (even though that probably would have been just fine). Surprisingly, I settled on my theme word this year in just 3 days.

Lessons from the previous year

I’ve shared before that I’m big on journaling and taking notes, especially during quiet times and study times. So this step is fairly easy for me because I have my journal to look back on. I took some time to flip through and scan the pages from the previous year. As I did, I wrote down some of the lessons I learned. Here were a few of the things I wrote down…

  • Give up! Give up trying to do and control things myself and hand the reigns over to God. Let God do the work—When I am weak, He is strong.
  • Peace with change and new things (in new relationships, in transitions from losing old relationships, in the face of job changes and the possibility of relocation, etc.).
  • Rest, relax, refresh. More time (i.e. downtime) for myself. I did LOTS of book reading this year for the first time in a LONG time. I’m learning to become more laid-back and less rigid and structured all the time.
  • Learning new ways to pray and do spiritual battle (training and preparation for a prayer team I was on). I had so many answered prayers in this specific area.
  • Many “back-to-basics” moments where I had to go back to what I’ve done before in times of struggle.
  • More loving view of unbelievers and sinners…seeing them in new ways, seeing them the way God sees them, and becoming less judgmental and condemning of them.
  • LOTS of removal of pride, lots of humbling.
  • Stepping out of comfort zone in several areas.
  • 2018 was a preparation year…nothing really big or major or difficult…I feel like it was maybe preparation stuff.

Looking at my previous theme word and how it played out over the previous year

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A Different Approach to Bible Reading

A Different Approach to Bible Reading

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash 

A Different Approach to Bible Reading

During the first of the year many Christians often resolve to be more purposeful in their spiritual growth. The Bible dedicates a significant amount of scripture to the importance of reading and meditating on God’s Word daily and spending quality time with God through prayer and praise. Because we know this, one of the main spiritual goals or resolutions at the start of a new year is to start a regular bible reading habit. Often people get off to a good start. Then, like many New Year’s Resolutions, what started off as a good intention gently fades, and it never quite becomes a habit or routine.

Two years ago I wrote a post on Tips to Start Reading the Bible on a Regular Basis. This might be a good time to go back and revisit that post for some great tips and a story about how and why I started my bible reading practice. This week I’d like to resume and expand on that discussion because I recently gained some more insight on a better way to approach bible reading.

Typical approaches: Duty & Application

My pastor, Whit George, just shared a different approach with our church[1]. Pastor Whit said that many of us approach bible reading in a couple of different ways. First, many of us approach our quiet times and reading like a duty, out of obligation or out of guilt. This approach is not as meaningful. It is not really “delighting” in God’s Word as Psalms teaches.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

Secondly, others of us approach scripture like reading a self-help book or instruction manual. We read it only for application. Reading for application is not bad—it’s actually a good thing. However, this approach doesn’t work when you read something that you can’t apply or when you don’t get anything out of what you read that day. To be perfectly honest, I have been guilty of both the “duty” approach and the “application-only” approach.

A better approach: Read for relationship

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Funny Friday: Fun New Year’s Resolutions

These will make for some fun new year's resolutions!

Funny Friday: Fun New Year’s Resolutions

Forget setting regular goals like becoming more organized and losing weight! I think these will make for some fun New Year’s resolutions!

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?…” Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)