A lot of us don’t make new year’s resolutions because we don’t want to fail. A year ago, CNN reported that about half of us make resolutions, and about half of those who make them keep them. It’s nothing new.
We can all relate to setting goals and struggling to keep them. The apostle Paul admitted “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18-19). I wonder if he was talking about “New Year’s Resolutions!”
In our own struggle to carry out the good we want, we fall. God has a love for “newness,” making a new creation, hearts new, men new … ALL things new! When resolutions are set quickly and in isolation (without other crucial steps), we’re more likely to fall hard and fast. “Woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Eccl. 4:10)
For the first 3 weeks of January, we’ll ASK God to speak to us by taking time to Reflect, Simplify, and Reason. If you long to see “the good you want” accomplished this year, you need a simple plan, intentional steps, and a friend. The first step is taking time to ASK God some key questions.
The first step: Reflection. It’s tempting to rush out of 2012 and on into 2013, but without time and space for Reflection, we risk paralysis. If we don’t take time to look back thoughtfully and sift out the treasures, we may find ourselves stuck somewhere in February, wondering how we fizzled out so fast.
Steps to Successful Goals in 2013
- Download the card each week. You’ll find a Truth, several “2new Questions” to consider, one Action to take, and a Prayer to seal the step in your heart.
- Find a friend to share with; husband, sister, mentor, neighbor? You can do it alone, but it’s so much better to have someone to lift you up!
- Discuss each step with your friend. You can do it alone and then come together to share, or you can just meet each card together. You don’t have to share “in person.” Feel free to email, chat on the phone, text, or Skype!
To the right, you’ll get an idea of what card #1 looks like, and you can download a crisp, clear copy below.
This could be the year you celebrate victories you haven’t known before. Are you excited? Let’s start by asking God to help us Reflect.
Download a nice clear copy of the 2NEW Reflect Card.
Have a friend you love? Why not share 2new ~ Reflection for a great new year with her so she can plan a great year too? Maybe they’ll be the “2” in your 2new!
As you Reflect on last year, what’s one blessing you’re thankful for?
I am really loving this “series”. One blessing from last year? I had a lot, to be honest. But the biggest blessing, and most definitly a God-given one, was the revival/renewal of my marriage.