As another year comes to an end, it’s once again a time that many pause to reflect. And it’s a great time to consider setting God-centered goals.
The difference between December 31st and January 1st is just one night’s sleep. Yet, the start of a new year gives an undeniable feeling of a chance to resolve to be better. Whether assessing progress on the prior year’s resolutions, evaluating the wisdom of current practices, or simply setting new goals, this is a time many review their life and choose to be more intentional in the year to come. It’s a time of new gym memberships, diets, budgets, job searches, and hobbies. God-centered goals don’t always make the list, but they should.
Although the Bible doesn’t directly promote or protest new year’s resolutions, it does support putting off one’s old, corrupt natures and embracing new, more Godlike attitudes (Ephesians 4:22-24). It also supports living an intentional life, characterized by deliberate actions that are in line with our calling (Proverbs 31:10-31).
For those looking to enter 2024 with reframed resolutions, here are 7 God-centered goals for a more intentional year.
7 Simple Steps
1) Be more present (Hebrews 10:19-25)
The Christian church is a group of believers – each a member of a larger body, united in Christ. To function properly, all members of the body need to be accounted for and working (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). For this reason, when church members gather, it’s good to be present among them. There are many valuable opportunities to gather as a church community. Sunday services, singing fellowships, volunteer events, and social functions are just a few examples.
A pause at the start of the year to consider other examples is time well spent since regular church attendance, participation, and fellowship are critical parts of our faith journey (Romans 10:17) and Christian growth. These interactions shape and deepen our religious beliefs, spiritual understanding, and sense of how we can encourage others.
You need the church, and the church needs you.
2) Be more studied (2 Timothy 3:1-17)
The Bible warns about how people will behave in the last days before Christ’s return. Pleasure seeking. Cruel. Proud. Gossipy. Traitorous. Godly in appearance only. In short, people for whom all that truly matters is self. As we look at the world around us, that description of the last days sounds eerily familiar.
Thankfully, the Bible also tells us that by choosing to abide – or continually receive, believe, and trust – in the scriptures, we can remain faithful, maintain a mutual relationship and connection with Christ, and glorify God through our outward actions that reflect the inward condition of our hearts (John 15:4-11). Further, if we abide in and meditate on His word, we will be blessed (Psalms 1:1-3).
In the coming year, make time to not only read the Bible, but also continue to think about its teachings. Notice how you’re able to see God bringing forth good things in your life – even out of things that may seem less positive on the surface.
3) Be more prayerful (Philippians 4:6-7)
God’s knowledge extends beyond your heart (Jeremiah 17:10) to every hair on your head (Luke 12:7). He still wants us to pray. Having given us agency, God wants us to choose to have a prayerful relationship with Him. And knowing that no ask is too great (Ephesians 3:20) and no anxiety is too small (1 Peter 5:7) to bring to Him, why wouldn’t we want to go to the Lord in prayer for help?
Still, prayer isn’t just about talking to God, and telling Him what we think we need. Prayer’s about speaking with God, as we would speak with a friend. And in the same way that our conversations with friends strengthen our relationships, our prayers bring us closer to God. When the Bible instructs us to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), it refers to an ongoing communication with Him.
God wants you to get to know Him better.
4) Be more grateful (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
As Christians, God’s will is for us to be joyful, prayerful, and thankful in all circumstances. Even times of loss, grief, pain, and suffering. Fortunately, God’s sovereign power gives Him complete control over every circumstance, in every moment. And that means He has a higher plan that’s always being worked out – even through the hard times (Romans 8:28). So we don’t know what will happen in the chapters of our lives, but we know the story’s ending if we remain faithful. We just need to trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6) – grateful that He has everything handled.
Thankfulness is the key to finding comfort in God’s sovereignty – even when His plan seems unaligned with our own.
5) Be more giving (1 Peter 4:10-11)
We all have strengths, abilities, and personality traits that make us different. In working together, these varied gifts and talents combine to make the church more effective (Romans 12:4-8). You may have God-given talents like a knack for business, artistic ability, or public speaking. You may possess spiritual gifts like an aptitude for teaching, or a compassionate heart that’s driven to help others. Or perhaps you have an innate ability to set goals and lead those around you to rally to accomplish them. All these talents and gifts come from God (James 1:17). And all can be uniquely used to glorify God and benefit those around you.
Identifying your gifts and how you could use them to give back doesn’t have to be difficult. It could be as simple as asking yourself what you enjoy doing, what others identify as your strengths, and what ministry or volunteer opportunities interest you. Then get to work!
God has entrusted you with your gifts for you to use them to make an impact.
6) Be more evangelical (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
As Christians, it’s not enough to know the Gospel – or the Good News – of salvation and keep it to ourselves. We must seek opportunities to share it with others (Mark 16:15). And in striving to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:28-31), we should want to share the Gospel with others.
While not every attempt to tell someone about Jesus will result in immediate conversion, that’s okay. Evangelism can be a single event or a process, involving a series of ongoing efforts – possibly by you and others. And the path to baptism is different for everyone. Some people may hear the Gospel once and instantly feel a sense of urgency (Acts 8:26-39). Others may require a series of events that lead to a change of heart over time. (Maybe such a chain of events is part of your conversion story!) Yet others may respond to the word and grow only for awhile, or never understand it at all (Luke 8:5-15).
No matter the immediate outcome of your evangelical efforts, it’s important to stay focused and not take rejection personally. Ultimately, it’s God who allows the planted seed to take root and grow. So don’t be afraid to be a part of someone’s evangelism process in the coming year.
Invite someone to church. Offer to do a Bible study with someone. Share your personal testimony. In short, plant a seed and see how God grows it.
7) Be more intentional (Hebrews 12:1)
Living intentionally means reflecting on what’s important and making deliberate choices so that our lives reflect those priorities. As a Christian, that means purposefully using God’s will as a roadmap for our lives (Ephesians 5:10). This requires that we understand God’s will for us (Ephesians 5:15-17), count the cost of turning away from parts of our life that aren’t aligned with God’s will (Luke 14:28-31), and then take deliberate actions to maintain our alignment with God. We’re aligned once our greatest joy is found when submitting to His wisdom and following Christ’s example. In contrast, we’re misaligned when pressure to compromise weighs on us, shame make us want to hide, and enduring fatigue leaves us feeling burnout.
By intentionally striving to be more present, studied, prayerful, grateful, giving, and evangelical, we can shake those signs of misalignment.
Looking Forward…
As you head into the new year, excited about the God-centered goals that you’ve established, know that you’ll hit a bump or two along the way. Your intentional walk won’t be a straight line. Indeed, we’re imperfect and the devil works hard to derail God-centered goals. But when you feel yourself straying, get back to basics. Prayer, church, and the Bible. You’ll be back on track in no time.
With God-centered goals in place for 2024 – and a solid plan for getting back on course – the upcoming year is looking bright.
