Time marches forward, whether we use it well or not. Let us be faithful stewards of the time God has given us and make the new year and however much of it we are given a fruitful and edifying period of life with God in Christ.

Christmas Day is past, but Christmastide continues. For many people, however, attention quickly shifts to the New Year. This may include resolutions of various kinds, most of which are quickly neglected and forgotten. Whether you are the kind of person who makes new year’s resolutions or not, the changing of the calendar is always a good time to look back, take stock, give thanks, and look ahead with repentance and resolve for improvement.

I have always been a fairly goal oriented person, but my planning and efforts are generally focused on habits rather than specific events or outcomes. Most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a day and underestimate what they can accomplish in a year, but a year-long goal is frequently too long and often too general to accomplish real change. I outline an overall plan and strategy for each year which includes my spiritual, physical, and intellectual life, but this strategy is then broken down into more specific action steps on a quarterly or monthly basis. These more specific goals then provide direction for my weekly and daily planning. I may not accomplish everything I originally outlined for the year, but I have found that having such a plan broken down into long-term, intermediate, and short-term phases helps me get more done in each area than I would have otherwise.

What are your plans for spiritual growth in the new year? Many Christians have devotional habits, but very few have an actual plan or goal for development. They may attend church weekly, practice daily Bible reading, and pray several times each day. These habits, even without specific goals or further direction, will lead to incremental growth in the Christian life. But many believers sit under the preaching of the Word and read their Bibles each year without ever really expecting to know appreciably more about Scripture than they did the year before. It is not that they are wasting time, only that they are not getting as much from these disciplines as they might with just a little more focused effort.

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