6 Tips For Setting Christian New Year Resolutions
Inside: Christian New Year Resolutions
It’s hard to set New Year goals or at least it’s hard to keep them all year round. We all want to succeed in the New Year, but resolutions often don’t last more than a few weeks into the year.
Christians should be among the people with the most successful New Year resolutions because we have something to look forward to and we have God to help us through!
Here are some tips to get you started on setting the right Christian New Year goals.
Christian New Year Resolution
What new year goals do you normally make? Perhaps choosing a word for the year? Maybe you choose a New Year’s Scripture to help you focus during the upcoming year?
Or do you choose to set healthy biblical goals, like weight loss or exercise goals?
As Christians, we need to really do a heart check when setting goals. We need to discern, using the scriptures and through prayer, if we are setting goals to please ourselves, or to bring glory to God.
I don’t normally choose a word for the year, but I’ve done this in the past. I think it’s a great practice, along with choosing a Scripture for the year. I can see how it would help us focus in on Christ and God’s word.
What about health goals for your New Year? Do you seek God before setting these goals?
How Do You Keep Your Christian New Year’s Resolutions
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:9 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
Proverbs 16:3
As Christians, we have God on our side, cheering for us, as we pray and plan out our goals for the New year. Use these steps to help you stay focused all year long on accomplishing your Christian New Year’s Resolutions.
- Pray – pray before you make your christian new year’s resolutions and ask God for help! Ask Him for guidance on what goals you should be making for yourself, your marriage, your family and ministry. Ask yourself what is the motivation behind your goals. Are they God honoring goals? Over planning or choosing the wrong goals may make for a very frustrating year. We don’t want that. We want to be in God’s will when planning faith goals.
- Research – Look at what you’d like to accomplish in the next year. What is practical? What is a scary big goal? What are the small baby steps it will take you to reach this goal? Write it all down.
- Plan – Going back to prayer again, ask God what goal you should make for the next year. Then plan it! Write it out. Set a year’s goal. Next, set monthly goals to reach that year’s goal. Finally, set weekly goals to reach your monthly and yearly goals. This should be covered in prayer. Include scripture as you go as well. Leave room in your plans for God to be spontaneous and to be used by Him in a way we never imagined.
- Accountability Partner – Your business partner, spouse, professor, boss, pastor, or best friend can be a great person to ask to be your accountability partner. Set certain days, maybe once a month or even once a week, to check in on each other with the goals you’ve set. Discuss what worked, what didn’t work and how you can improve next week or next month. Having a strong accountability partner can be what pushes you towards your goals or falling flat on your face.
- Motivate Yourself – Write down your why. Why did you set this goal? What are the benefits of you reaching this goal? Regularly remind yourself of your why, especially on the days you feel like you are losing traction. Again, always pray and study the Bible. We can’t truly know God’s will and direction if we are not reading God’s word for ourselves.
- Enjoy – Be thankful and proud of your goals being met and the hard work you’ve put in to move forward in your life. Enjoy the process and the rewards of your hard work.
Examples Of Spiritual Goals
Here is a list of 10 practical Christian New Year Resolutions to make this year:
- Set time to read the Bible and pray everyday. I use alarms on my phone to help me remember. Also, sticky notes posted where you will see it is also helpful. Like on the door, kitchen table or fridge.
- Keep a journal. According to Phyc Central, Expressive writing through journaling can be a powerful way to process stress, trauma, and different emotions. It can be helpful in organizing our thoughts, growing our faith and unwinding after a long day.
- Give back. Get involved at your church or local community organization to help others going through hard times.
- Monthly Bible Studies. I host a monthly Scripture writing and bible study challenge and would love for you to join me.
- Exercise daily. Keeping our bodies somewhat healthy does wonders for our mental health, physical health and spiritual health as well. I love doing prayer walks! Grab my printable weight loss planner to help keep you organized and on track with your health goals.
- Practice forgiveness. One of the best books I’ve read so far on forgiveness is, The Process Of Forgiveness by Meninger. Working on forgiveness helps our relationship with God.
- Set healthy boundaries. Let this year be the year you learn to set healthy boundaries. I’ve read a few of the boundary books from Townsend and Cloud and highly recommend them.
- Read good books. Read books to help you grow in your faith and walk with God. Something to encourage your heart. I’m currently reading, Live Your Truth & Other Lies by Childers. Highly recommend.
- Get enough sleep. You may be wondering why I include sleep with spiritual goals, but when we regularly go on less sleep then we need it starts to affects our mental and physical health which in turn hurts our spiritual health. So make sure you get to bed on time and give your body and brain the rest it needs.
- Strive to overcome on sin or struggle you have right now. Work on healing and growing in one area so you overcome and grow as a person and grow in your relationship with God.
- Practice Grace to yourself and towards others. Grab my list of verses on grace and learn what true grace is so you can show others grace.
What Does the Bible Say About Setting Goals?
After you’ve set your goals, you may find yourself becoming discouraged if you see you are having a hard time with keeping at them. But take heart, you are not alone. God will be with you in this.
These Bible verses will help you to keep going when you’d rather give up.
- But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
- Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established (Proverbs 16:3.
- I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).
- “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:7).
- Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23-24).
- But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)
Pause Pray Pivot
In any fork in the road that we stand before, I suggest a pause, pray & pivot method.
Wether you use this to help you make decisions, set christian New Year resolutions or getting unstuck in life, I personally think this is a great tool to keep in our back pockets!
Pause – We pause in the moment. Take a deep breath. Analyze the situation.
Pray – Then we pray. We are seeking God for what he’d like us to do next.
Pivot – Then we pivot or move in the direction that God leads. What is the next step you need to take that gives honor to God in this situation and in your life?
Along with the Pause, Pray & Pivot method, use the New Year Verses below to help you seek God this year. Use them to learn more about God and what he would have you do.
Use them in your prayers. Use these New Year’s Bible verses to help build up your faith and have more depth to your spiritual walk.
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Christian New Year Quotes
I enjoy these faith focused quotes for the New Years! These are great any time we need to refocus on Christ. Use these 7 New Year’s Christian quotes to encourage not just your own heart, but share them to inspire your friends as well.
Christians must never forget the resources they have in their relationship with the living God who will never fail or forsake them.
Jeff Forrey and Jim Newheiser
“ Hope is not defined by the absence of hardship. Rather, hope is found in God’s grace in the midst of hardship. Hope is found in his promise to give us a future.”
Stuart Scott
Nobody is exempt from having problems in their lives, but God is so righteous that he does not send a problem without a solution so that we can overcome it, making us wiser people. Have a happy and prosperous New Year.
NewYearWiki
“New Year’s Day is a good time to fix one’s eyes on the only One who knows what the year is to hold.”
Elisabeth Elliot
“The most important resolution you can make as another year approaches is this: to open your heart and life to Jesus Christ, and commit your life to Him. Don’t waste your time on resolutions that don’t ultimately matter; resolve instead to live for Christ.”
Billy Graham
“Tomorrow is a new year. A new life. Even if you are in the middle of an Asa-like infidelity, God is giving you another chance. If you will repent, he will forgive and renew. ‘Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name’ (Acts 10:43).”
John Piper
To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.
Martin Luther
New Year’s Bible Verses
If one of your Christian New Year Resolutions is to get into God’s word then use this list of 30 Bible verses any time you need to focus on a new start in life.
I know January has 31 days, but I do all of my Scripture writing plans on a 30 day schedule. Take one verse a day for 30 days to read over, write out and pray over.
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Bible Verses For The New Year
Take your Christian New Year Resolution to the next level with this New Year Bible Verse study journal.
Use this 33 page printable Scripture Writing And Bible Study Journal for the New Year’s Bible Verses plan. Draw closer to God as you read, write and study these New Year’s Bible verses.
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What goals or plans do you make for the New Years? What faith based goals do you have?
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Whisper Of Hope Devotional – Need God to whisper hope into your life? This devotional is for you.
Pin these New Years Bible Verses for later.
