Why do we approach new years the same way every year? We’re bold. We make goals, we dream big dreams, we wake up at 6AM, we start that new hobby. But what happens after that? Most people, they drop off, we hit the snooze button one too many times; we lose sight of the dream we had on day one.
As men we are called to lead our families. We want to take the bold steps to devote ourselves to attending church every week; we strive to take the first step toward a distant wife; we desire to lead our children. There’s a saying at my church that we use at the beginning of every year. If this is your best year spiritually, it will be your best year ever. This principle is simple but rings true to my core. All the goals and aspirations I’ve set going into the new years of past have faded away, but what would happen if I changed my mindset? What would happen if we changed our thinking from a goal-based mindset to a new way of life?
Thinking Differently
Here’s what I mean:
I want to lose 50 pounds to I’m going to being living a healthy lifestyle
I want to read the entire bible this year to I’m going to dedicate this year to getting to know God better than I have ever before.
This small mindset shift allows for grace. What that will do is when march hits and you’ve only lost 12 pounds, that’s okay and you’ll continue the path towards health because you didn’t fail. What this does is remove the barrier of failure that we all hate feeling. To set us up for the best year yet, let go over 3 Mindset shifts to have the best year spiritually.
Scripture
Reading scripture is foundational for our faith. It is the method God has used to teach his people of his character and faithfulness throughout all human history. Dedicating time to memorize, meditate on, read over, and study scripture will significantly shape how you view all of life. Scripture teaches us how God acts towards his creation, and through Jesus we are taught how to best respond.
2023 will not be your best year spiritually without a dedication to scripture.
Prayer
Praying is probably the simplest of the three of these mindsets to live by this year. Prayer is something you can do during any activity, at any time of the day. You can slip it in while sipping coffee, while talking to your friends, or while watching TV after work. The key to a prayer filled life is knowing that the God of the universe is waiting to interact with you about each and every aspect of your day.
2023 will not be your best year spiritually without a dedication to Prayer.
Community
Involvement in a Christian community is important now more than ever. Coming out of a season of such intense separation and isolation we are being called back together. Christians have always been a people defined by their communities. The Christian faith is impossible to be lived without people as love is not something that can be expressed without someone to love.
2023 will not be your best year spiritually without a dedication to a Christian community.
Starting Today
Living through a worldview that highlights these three things will set a strong foundation to kick off your best year spiritually! Remember, these aren’t goals to create, but lenses in which we live our lives through. We are not trying to have perfect Scripture reading, prayer hours, or church attendance, we are simply people who strive to know the word of God, who pray, and live in community with others.
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