Starting the New Year Right
How To Start Right
As the calendar turns to a new year, many people take time to reflect on the past and set resolutions for the future. While goals for health, finances, and relationships are important, the greatest resolution any believer can make is to start the year right with God. The Bible gives us a clear blueprint for how to draw closer to Him, grow in faith, and live a life that honors His name. Let us explore these principles together, anchored in the timeless truths of God’s Word.
1. Begin with Reflection and Repentance
The first step in starting the year right with God is to reflect on the past year and come before Him in repentance. The psalmist reminds us:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).
Self-examination is essential for spiritual growth. Take time to ask the Lord to reveal areas where you have fallen short of His standards. Confess those sins, knowing that He is faithful to forgive:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Repentance is not merely feeling sorry for sin; it involves turning away from sin and turning toward God. As you begin the new year, ask Him to cleanse your heart and renew your spirit:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
2. Commit to Daily Time with God
Spending daily time with God is crucial for deepening your relationship with Him. Jesus Himself set the example by withdrawing to pray:
“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed” (Mark 1:35).
Start each day with prayer and Bible reading. Prayer allows you to communicate with God, while reading His Word enables Him to speak to you. The Bible is a lamp for your feet and a light for your path, guiding you through life’s decisions.
Consider setting aside a specific time and place for your devotions. Consistency is key. Even if you start small, the habit will grow over time. Meditate on God’s promises:
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2).
3. Prioritize Worship and Fellowship
Another essential element of starting the year right with God is faithful participation in worship and fellowship. God created us to live in community with other believers. Hebrews 10:25 exhorts us:
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).
Make church attendance a priority this year. Corporate worship not only honors God but also strengthens your faith as you hear His Word preached, sing praises, and partake in the ordinances. Fellowship with other believers provides encouragement and accountability:
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17).
4. Set Spiritual Goals
Just as you might set goals for your health or career, it is wise to establish spiritual goals for the year. These could include reading through the entire Bible, memorizing Scripture, or serving in a new ministry. Paul encourages us to press forward in our spiritual journey:
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
Write down your goals and review them regularly. Be intentional about growing in areas such as prayer, evangelism, and giving. Remember that your efforts are not about earning God’s favor but about responding to His grace with faithful obedience.
5. Trust God for Guidance
As you look ahead to the new year, there will undoubtedly be uncertainties and challenges. Trusting God to guide your steps is vital. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us:
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
God’s plans are always for your good, even when you cannot see the full picture:
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Surrender your plans to Him, seeking His will above your own. As you do, He will guide you step by step:
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way” (Psalm 37:23).
6. Serve Others
A life lived for God is a life lived in service to others. Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39) and to follow His example of humble service:
“For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Look for ways to serve within your church and community. Whether it is volunteering in a ministry, helping a neighbor in need, or sharing the gospel, your acts of service glorify God and demonstrate His love to others.
7. Cultivate Gratitude
Gratitude is a hallmark of a believer who is walking closely with God. The Bible exhorts us:
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Begin each day by thanking God for His blessings. Gratitude shifts your focus from what you lack to what you have in Christ. It also strengthens your faith as you recall His faithfulness:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2).
8. Share the Gospel
Starting the year right with God also means sharing the good news of salvation with others. Jesus commanded us:
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Pray for boldness and opportunities to share your faith. Remember, it is not your eloquence but the power of the Holy Spirit that brings people to Christ:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16).
9. Persevere Through Trials
Trials are inevitable, but they are also opportunities for growth. James reminds us:
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:2-3).
Trust that God is using your trials to refine your character and deepen your reliance on Him:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
10. Rest in God’s Grace
Finally, remember that starting the year right with God is not about striving in your own strength but resting in His grace. Jesus invites us:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Abide in Christ, knowing that He is the source of your strength and the sustainer of your soul:
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).
As you embark on a new year, commit to putting God first in every area of your life. Reflect and repent, spend daily time with Him, engage in worship and fellowship, set spiritual goals, trust Him for guidance, serve others, cultivate gratitude, share the gospel, persevere through trials, and rest in His grace. By doing so, you will not only start the year right but also experience the abundant life He has promised:
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
May this year be one of spiritual growth and deeper intimacy with the Lord. Trust Him, follow Him, and watch as He works mightily in and through your life for His glory.
