New Year, New Me?
A year behind us, and a fresh new one before us. Naively we all chant the mantra, “New Year, New Me!” The fresh beginnings feel nice, but if we’re honest what’s not new are our habits. We don’t lay our heads down on our pillows one night and raise them the next morning as new people. The cold hard facts stand true: if we continue in 2023 with the same habits and practices as 2022, we’ll be the same sort of people at the end of 2023 as we were at the end of 2022. The truth is God works by His Spirit in and through habits and practices. What sort of person might God be inviting you to become in 2023, and what are some practices that shape you in those particular ways? Psalm 1:1–3 says,
[1] Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
[2] but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
[3] He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
Imagine with us a year where we fill our ears and hearts with God’s Word and counsel more than anything else! Wouldn’t that be an amazing year? Let’s work it backwards then, because this sort of life doesn’t happen without a plan but rather must be intentionally pursued.
Are there simple and life giving ways God might be inviting you to meet Him in His Word this year? Do you have a plan for reading, memorizing and meditating on His Word? Are there others in your life that you might want to invite into this with you? We go further with others!
Consider the different tools out there:
It might be starting up a Bible reading plan that’s doable for you.
Perhaps this year it’s ditching a longer reading plan and sticking with a more in depth study on a focused book, topic, or passage.
It might be simply choosing to listen to God’s Word read or sung before you listen to anything else (i.e. “The Bible before Instagram or news or email or “fill in the blank”).
Consider choosing a song from the Verses catalog and listen to it on repeat in the mornings or on your commutes until it settles in a bit.
You might want to keep Scripture playing in the background at work or at home on shuffle. You can pick a playlist from our app or on Spotify.
It might be finding a passage/song that contains a truth you’re struggling to believe, or perhaps a topic you’re led to zero in on, and singing those songs out loud.
Whatever it is, be intentional about it. Follow His lead… You’re not alone! As you do, at the end of 2023, you’ll find yourself planted by streams of water, fruitful and evergreen!
