5 Steps to a Happy New Year

I have never been big on New Year’s Resolutions as often times they are unattainable goals that we set for ourselves with unrealistic expectations. Often times we set these goals but we do not consider the steps that it will take to get there. I will lose 20 pounds this year is not as easy as saying it. You have to have a plan. Are you going to change what you eat? Are you going to exercise more? Is your plan realistic? These are the types of questions that we forget to ask ourselves in the excitement of setting goals for the New Year.

This year I want to do something different. I want to set goals that can be reached and reach for them; I want to set expectations that are reasonable and that are not devastating when we do miss them because let’s face it; LIFE HAPPENS.

So I came up with a list of 5 goals all Christians should have in the coming year. We will not be perfect and at times we will fail but that is okay because to start the list we have:

5. ACCEPT GRACE

Sometimes as Christians we can be too hard on ourselves when we fail. We have to remember that failure is the one common bond that unites us all. Romans 3:23 tells us that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. None of us are perfect and none of us will have a perfect year.

4. DEVOTE MORE TIME TO SCRIPTURE

This one may seem simple but we get ahead of ourselves and get busy with our lives and it seems that, at least for me, time in scripture is one of the first things we sacrifice to our busy schedules. Whether I listen to Scripture when driving or start my day off with time in the Word; I want to spend more time focusing on His Word and what He is trying to tell me this year. My wonderful wife got me a journaling Bible for Christmas and my desire is to fill it up with thoughts this year.

3. JUDGE LESS For Christians this one can be tricky. We all get caught up in the nonsense that is judgement and sometimes we are knee deep in it before we even realize it. This year take time to focus on your thoughts and what they say about you. Take time to consider that person’s situation and story before passing judgement on them and their clothes, their hair, or even their choices. If we as Christians can start to judge less then #2 will be really easy.

2. LOVE MORE Easy enough, right. How about this year we try this. Love more. Love someone who you disagree with; love someone who has a different political opinion than you; love someone who stresses you out; love someone who pushes your buttons; love someone whose lifestyle is different than yours. It is pretty simple actually, just love others the way Christ did and everything should be okay.

1. TRUST GOD MORE Most people can tell you that I like to do things my way. I know, it’s a bad habit, but I can’t help it. This year as a Christian I want to sit back and trust God more. I want to allow Him to work through me in spite of me. As Christians we seem to struggle here because we pray and when God answers we ask why. This year I want to trust that He sees the big picture and everything is going to be okay. Last year saw significant changes in my families lives and at times I questioned what was happening but looking back I see that God was in control the whole time. This year, I want to focus on the opportunities before me and let God be in control.

Happy New Year’s Everyone.