It is right to be intentional in how we live. If we don’t think about what we are doing, nothing will ever be different from how it is right now.

It’s that season when many of us think about how next year will be different to this one. Many make some form of New Year Resolution. It is the time when gym memberships sell and healthy food providers’ profits go up. We can be full of motivation that we can be better versions of ourselves in some way.

Yet most New Year Resolutions end poorly. We mean well, really. We want to be different. Yet we cannot do it. Too often, our aspirations stay as, well, aspirations. Wishful thinking rather than concrete changes.

Christians are no different to anyone else in wanting things to be different and better in our lives. Our faith brings another aspect into play: we want to honour God more in our lives. We want to be better servants, more faithful pray-ers, more committed in our local church, and more active in our Christian growth and evangelism. Yet even these godly aspirations often stay as good ideas rather than new habits.

I need to say that it is a great thing to want to be more godly. It is something the Spirit does in the heart of every Christian. We should want this and work wisely towards it. It is right to be intentional in how we live. If we don’t think about what we are doing, nothing will ever be different from how it is right now.

While none of these tips are perfect, let me give you a little advice when it comes to making changes to your life:

1. Be realistic and sustainable. The problem with making big changes this quieter time of year is that normal life is far less flexible. Sure, you might be able to read the Bible for an hour a day now; how about when work starts again or the kids go back to school? Better to be shorter and regular and sustainable, than to aim too high and never be able to keep it going.

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