A new year is before us! As I get older, it seems like they come faster every year. Hopefully as you approach a new year, your prevailing thoughts are not merely about how to update your increasingly out-of-date iPhone or who will win the bowl games. There are two issues I believe are far more important for you to consider at this time of year.
First, seriously and systematically reflect on the year that is passing. It has been said that we do not learn from our experience; we learn by reflecting on our experience. There is a goldmine of wisdom lying just below the surface of our last year of life if only we will take time to dig.
I strongly encourage you to set aside significant time at year’s end to reflect thoughtfully on what happened in your life over the past year. You may want to consider how your company, church, nation, or non-profit did as well. But your primary concern ought to be you. How well did you conduct your life last year? How skillfully and graciously did you interact with others? How deep and powerful was your prayer life? How effectively did you perform the tasks for which you were responsible? Could you have done better? What kind of spiritual fruit did you harvest from your life last year? How much glory did you bring to your Creator? Is there still room for growth? What will it take for you to be a better person in the upcoming year?
Most people are not intentional about their personal growth. “That’s just the way I am” is today’s widespread mantra. If anything, popular culture condemns people for tampering with who they are. But Christians should not behave that way.
The apostle Paul stated, “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). For people who do not have the Holy Spirit residing within them, their best hope is to curb their worst tendencies and seek relief from their addictions. Even the popular AA program assures alcoholics that they will always be an alcoholic, preferably one who recognizes his or her weaknesses and seeks help from friends and a higher power.
Of course, Christianity’s opponents love to point out the hypocrites who attend church. But the truth is that there are ample numbers of hypocrites outside the Church as well. The difference is that those who attend church are regularly being challenged to examine themselves to see where they fall short of Scripture’s standards and then to make adjustments. Those who do not attend church can go all year without ever being challenged to improve themselves or to examine the kind of person they are. One of the Church’s purposes is to challenge people to better themselves by the power of the Holy Spirit residing within them.
As you take time to reflect on yourself at year’s end, begin by comparing yourself to the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). How was your love, joy, peace, and patience last year? How could they have been better? What will you do to improve them? Examine your leadership. Were you effective last year? Could you have been more effective? Consider the kind of friend and colleague you were to others last year. Were you a blessing? A non-factor in others’ lives? Or worse? Don’t be overly harsh, but don’t let yourself off the hook either. You owe it to those around you to be a better version of yourself next year.
Second, after reflecting on your year in review, make specific plans to be and do better in the year to come. Flagellating yourself for a bad year isn’t enough. You must make specific, measurable plans to do better. And, unlike many New Year’s resolutions, your plans must be buttressed with support, commitment, and the necessary tools and planning to help you succeed.
There are some popular goals that people often set, like losing weight or exercising more. If you failed to achieve your goals in these areas last year, how will you adjust your goals so you attain them this year? Also, consider making some fresh new goals or goals that are even somewhat unusual. Some people aim to read a book per week or even 100 books in a year (the century club!). Some set goals for travel. My daughter and her husband have a goal to take their daughter, Claire, to 100 countries by the time she turns 18. Some set goals for how much money they will give to charity. Others for how much blood they will donate. Consider setting some goals you have never attempted before. The key is to remain dissatisfied merely to stay as you are. Life is to short and human potential is too great to remain entrenched as exactly the same person year after year.
As you watch the news and talk with people today, it’s clear that the world is in great need. Throughout history, whenever society was in trouble, God’s answer was His people. God designed them to be salt and light. Now is such a time. Society desperately needs Christians to fulfil their role as preserving agents that bless their societies. But achieving that goal will require us to be and do more than we have before. It will mean striving to be the best version of us that God intended. You can’t afford to remain the same person you have been. There is too much at stake for you not to grow.
So make plans now to grow in the crucial areas of your life. Don’t be satisfied with another year that is just like the last one. If you listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings, He can lead you to have your most amazing and fruitful year yet. May it be so.
