The start of a new year always brings the urge to review the past year and make plans for the year ahead. Many people focus on things like health, wealth, and growth, but if we truly want a change, then it should start with our spiritual lives. The Bible has a myriad of advice for how to live a good and meaningful life, including a few resolutions that could make a real difference in our walk with the Lord this year. By prioritizing our relationship with God, we can set the foundation for growth in every other area of life. Let this be the year we focus on aligning our hearts with His will and seeking His guidance in all we do.

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1. Meditate

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.” (Joshua 1:8)

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When we read the Bible, our spirits are saturated with the truths of God. Meditating on God’s Word shows us how to live and where to keep our focus. The world seems constantly in turmoil, but God does not change. Meditating on scripture helps us turn off the distractions of the enemy so that we can discern the will of God in our daily lives and make good decisions.

Meditating is more than just reading a chapter of scripture a day. It is actively reading where we try to comprehend what God is saying to us and how we can apply it to our lives. This requires reading a verse (or chapter) more than once, researching the background of that particular passage, and maybe even doing a word study. Pray over the passage and even keep notes in a journal.

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Philippians 4:8 tells us to meditate on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. Nothing fits that description more than the Word of God itself. The enemy is always trying to trip us up and distract us, but studying scripture steels us for the battles we may face. So, take some time each day to meditate on scripture so that your focus is on God and you are prepared for whatever the day may bring.

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2. Attend Church

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

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I often hear Christians say that they don’t need to attend church to worship God. That may be true, but one of the purposes of church is to fellowship with other believers and encourage one another. Matthew 18:19-20 tells us that if any two agree on something and pray for it in the will of God, it will be done because God is present when His people are gathered. We are stronger together, and we were meant to live as a community and not in isolation.

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When we are in a church family, we can share each other’s burdens, pray for each other, and celebrate the good times. We can also hold each other accountable to the higher standard of Christ. It’s easy to let things slip when we think no one is watching, but if we are involved in a local church, then we are challenged to grow spiritually and hear God's Word weekly.

If you aren’t involved in a local church, I encourage you to pray for God’s guidance in finding a place where you can serve and grow. No church is perfect because it is filled with imperfect people, but God has a place for each of us. He will show you if you are willing to step out in faith.

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3. Be Transformed

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

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As humans, we long to belong somewhere, so it is easy to try to blend in with a group. When we are conformed to the world, we become like those around us, but we are not to be conformed to the world’s standards. We are to be transformed to be more like Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says Christians should mirror the glory of God as we are transformed into His image a little more every day.

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2 Corinthians 5:17 says that in Christ, we are a new creation, so we shouldn’t look like we did before we were saved. Our goal is not to be like the world but to be like Christ. When we are transformed, we shed the light of Christ into the dark world instead of letting the dark influence us. What does it take to be transformed into this new creation?

We are transformed daily by the renewing of our minds, which requires meditation on the word. We also need the support and admonition of fellow Christians through church attendance. When we focus on what Christ has done for us, then the draw of the world fades. Let us be transformed so that we can be a witness, a light in the darkness, so that others can be transformed and live a victorious life.

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4. Seek Wisdom

“Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7)

Wisdom is more than knowledge. The world is full of educated people who have multiple college degrees, yet they do things that aren’t very wise. You can get all the knowledge in the world, but if you don’t know how to use it, then you haven’t really gained anything at all. Wisdom is discernment, or understanding, of how to respond to situations in light of all this knowledge. So, how do you seek wisdom?

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Proverbs 2:6 and James 1:5 both tell us that God is the one who gives wisdom. He gives it freely to anyone who asks. King Solomon could have asked God for anything, but he chose to ask for wisdom because he knew he would need it to lead the nation. He was one of the richest and most powerful kings in history because of this, although he did not apply wisdom to his relationships, which led to his eventual downfall. If we want to end as strong as we begin as Christians, then we need a daily dose of wisdom from God.

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Each resolution we have talked about thus far builds on the previous one. Meditating on God’s Word and being involved in a church community help us to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. Wisdom is also found in the Bible and in older, more mature Christians in your church. It is also found in praying directly to God, the giver Himself. However, seeking wisdom must be paired with action. We must actually follow through and make wise decisions or it is all for nothing. If you seek wisdom, you will find it, but it is what you do with it that counts.

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5. Pursue Holiness

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)

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How does a broken, sinful human become holy or pursue holiness? In order to be holy, we have to belong to God. To be holy is to be set apart by God. We are set apart when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord. Because we have a relationship with Jesus, we are His children and become holy by association. However, we still are to pursue holiness on a daily basis.

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“As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:14-16)

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Resolution three was about being transformed instead of being conformed. We are to behave as the new creatures we have been created to be, following after Christ as our example and striving to grow more like Him every day. This requires that we follow the other resolutions because it is all integrated in the life of a Christian. We read the Word so that we know how to behave, we join in a community where we encourage each other and pray for each other, and then we ask God to make us more like His Son every day.

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Pursuing holiness isn’t about some grand scheme or retreating to a monastery; it is about daily submitting to the Holy Spirit’s work within us. There is nothing that we can do that will make us holy. Only God can do that. Pursuing holiness is about pursuing a relationship with God and allowing Him to make us what we were always meant to be.

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6. Forgive

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

If we have followed all the resolutions thus far, it should be clear that we are broken creatures in need of God. God in love forgave us and made a way for us to have a relationship with Him by giving His only Son. Our forgiveness costs more than we could ever repay; therefore, how can we refuse to forgive someone else?

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“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14)

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Matthew tells us that if we don’t forgive others, then God will not forgive us. Now, while our salvation is not in question, our relationship with God is. Our eternal life in Heaven is set when we accept Christ as Lord, but our daily relationship is weakened when we hold unforgiveness in our hearts. If we want forgiveness, then we must give it to others.

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A quote by Lewis Smedes says that “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” Holding on to unforgiveness hurts you more than it does the other person because it keeps you from a close relationship with God and withholds joy from your life. If you want the abundant life that we read about in John 15, then we must forgive others. Only then can we be truly transformed. Forgive others and set yourself free. Then you will remember the joy of your salvation.

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7. Be Without Offense

“This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.” (Acts 24:16).

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In a culture that is full of people who are offended about everything, God tells us to be without offense. If we are truly living a transformed life, then we are willing to forgive others and not allow the things of this world to cloud our vision. The enemy sends all kinds of distractions to keep us from doing the will of God, to try and steal our joy, and to make us useless in God’s kingdom. We shouldn’t expect Christian behavior from lost people; instead, we should be shining a light in the darkness so they can live transformed lives.

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The Golden Rule tells us to do unto others as we would have them do to us. Matthew 7:12 says this sums up the law and the prophets. When people asked Jesus what was the most important command, he said to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and to love others as you love yourself.  All the resolutions in the Bible point to these two things. It is about loving God and others. The Ten Commandments are about how we should behave toward God and how we should behave toward others.

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If we want to start the new year right, then we should start with love and then the other resolutions will follow. Like the song says, what the world needs now is love; it needs the love of God shown through his people. Let our greatest resolution this year be to love as God loves because that could change everything.