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We’re here, friends! We made it not only to a new year, but we are now already in our second week of 2023!
Maybe you find yourself in one of two camps right about now. Maybe you are fired up, have all your goals neatly listed out, all your desired daily habits and rhythms in a line, and you are determined this will be your year. Your year to accomplish all the goals, succeed with all your resolutions, and make all the changes in your life that you feel you need to make.
Or maybe you’re in another camp. Maybe you have tried to have goals before, and you never met them, tried to keep resolutions before and they all fell through, planned to make a bunch of changes, and none were ever made, so you aren’t going to even try this year.
May I gently point out the problem in both of these camps?
It’s self.
Self-help, self-sufficiency, self-focus, and self-reliance.
It’s a problem because self is often a disappointment.
Self is too often ruled by the sin nature.
Self is not strong enough on its own.
So, what is the key then to making lasting changes in our lives in 2023? Because I absolutely believe & know that change IS possible (our whole doctrine of sanctification relies on that reality!).
The key is *walking by the Spirit*:
-Walking by the Spirit first in even coming up with your goals in the first place. Only God knows what goals are appropriate & doable in the upcoming season of your life. If you bite off more than you can chew, race ahead of God and His plan and pace for you, you are going to grow discouraged again as you watch certain goals fall by the wayside. Walk by the Spirit as you prayerfully come up with your 2023 goals, and you will see far greater success. And success in the things that actually matter!
-Walk by the Spirit every day of 2023 as you make little choices every single day about how you will spend your time. Look to Him, follow His leading, and walk in obedience to His little nudges. You will then come away from 2023 having lived a truly productive, fruitful, purposeful life for eternity!
Reflection Questions:
1) What might need to change about how you approach a new year?
2) What changes is the Lord leading you to make? How will you seek to do that by His Spirit?
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