Entering Into 2022: How Should We Approach a New Year?

Have you ever set a New Year's resolution? How long did it hold? We often enter into a new year with hope for change, but all too often we find ourselves back at the very same place we began. As we are about to embark upon a new year let us ask “what is a healthy way to approach a new year?” How can we as believers in Christ approach the new year with the right mentality and have a rich and fulfilling year?

Setting a solid foundation is critical to the successful implementation of any plan. What is it that you would like to accomplish and how do you measure a successful year? In the book of Matthew it tells us of a foolish and wise man. The foolish man built his house upon the sand and when the rains came it was washed away, whereas the wise man built his house upon the rock and it was able to withstand the rain. How often do we put our hopes in things of this world? It is not bad to have plans and goals, but this should be the driving force of our life that defines us as believers our identity should be in Christ.

What is it you hold most dear in this life? What happens to you when that thing goes away? Money, fame, success and possessions can all quickly fade and putting our faith in them is like building a house upon the sand. Have you ever set big goals, only to find out that things way beyond your control caused the plans to go not as intended. There is a great danger of succumbing to anxiety and/or depression when we put our faith in things that are fleeting. Recently, I have been dealing with back issues and illness that put a damper on some of the things I wanted to do, but instead I used my downtime to reflect and turn to the Lord. On the flip side we also face the risk of being overtaken by pride and arrogance when we put our faith in accomplishments and things are going as well or better than planned. Our sinful nature makes it easy for us to stray off course and it is pertinent that we seek first the Kingdom of Christ.

Intentionality is also critical as many times we may have the best of ideas, but there is no focus on implementation and things never get accomplished. As believers there are three areas where we often do not emphasize the way we should. These three areas we need to be more intentional about are: prayer, reading the word and actively living according to the teachings of Christ.

So many people approach prayer as if God is some sort of genie granting wishes. Prayer is a way how we communicate with God and how He communicated with us. As believers we need to be intentional in our prayer life. We must not view prayer as a means to an end or an errand, rather we ought to have a mindset of prayer where it is a normal and consistent part of our life where we are turning everything over to Christ.

God has provided us with the Bible as His word to us, yet so many do not read scriptures. People do not know the word of God and fall prey to false teachers who pick and choose certain portions to fit an agenda. We need to not only read but seek to understand and memorize scripture. Listening to expository preaching that breaks down the word is also very helpful.

In addition to reading the word, we need to apply scriptures to our lives. There is a movement that focuses on the grace of God where people feel it is okay to sin as long as they ask to be forgiven. Many people call themselves Christians and believe in the basic tenets of Christianity, yet if you look at their lives there is nothing that sets them apart. As believers we are supposed to be like the salt of Earth. We cannot walk in darkness and say we are in the light. Jesus tells us that we express our love for God by following His commandments. Works do not determine our salvation, but they are an expression of it and it is important for us to reflect upon what type of fruit we are bearing.

This is just a simple list of things to help us reflect upon entering a new year and is by no means exhaustive as there are many other helpful things such as being involved in a church and being part of a community of believers. Let us all take a moment to reflect on our lives as there are so many areas where we all fall short and instead of making mistakes like prior years, this year we turn to the cross and to the one who overcame death. May we not just claim to be Christians, but let our actions set us apart.

Dear Lord,

Help me to let go of the things of this world and to turn over control to you, Help me to rely on you for wisdom, guidance and direction. Strengthen me and help me to be intentional in prayer and reading your word. Please help me to live according to your will and seek fulfillment in you and not in things of this world. Protect me from the enemy and fill me with discernment. Help me to avoid distractions and temptations that have hindered me in the past and ask that the Holy Spirit continue to work within and refine and help me to accomplish my purpose in Christ.

References

Matthew 5:13-16 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[a] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 7:24-27 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

John 14:15 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

James 2:14-26 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[b] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

James 4: 13-16 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 John 5: 5-10 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.