We wish you a happy new year! Here at In Touch we look forward to the new beginning that every January brings, and we hope you’re filled with faith and confidence as well. Here are some challenging words—and practical advice—from Dr. Stanley to help you make this a year of great spiritual growth.
What’s your outlook on beginning a new year?
Some people think making New Year’s resolutions is foolish. And it’s true that many are quickly forgotten or abandoned, but that doesn’t mean the whole practice is a waste of time. It’s a way of setting your course in the right direction for the coming months. If you don’t make plans for improvement, the only alternative is to drift along doing the same things you’ve done before—whether or not they’re fruitful.
As the old year transitions into the new, take some time to evaluate your life.
Not just based on worldly accomplishments, but on a deeper spiritual level. In the last week of December, I always review my diaries to see how I’ve responded to the Lord’s guidance, promises, or warnings throughout the year. The goal is not to judge my performance, but to check the condition of my heart and remind myself of the lessons I’ve learned.
Try asking yourself the following questions: What did I achieve last year? Have I done anything that will outlive me and have eternal significance? Did I spend my time, energy, and resources accomplishing what I wanted or what God desired? Have I grown in my relationship with Christ?
These questions relate to the most important aspect of your life—and the key to anything you hope to experience in the future. Let’s consider Paul’s example in Philippians 3:7-16.
First, Paul had one desire that superseded all others.
“Whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (vv. 7-8).
That’s a challenging standard, isn’t it? Are career, family, financial, material, or social goals more important to you than gaining deeper knowledge of, and intimacy with, your Savior? There’s nothing wrong with pursuing other things, but they need to take second place to your relationship with the Lord. That means you have to make time to spend with Him, in His Word and prayer.
Second, Paul had a primary goal in life.
“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (v. 10). This wasn’t just a superficial familiarity. Paul wanted to know Christ personally and experientially by (1) joyful, daily surrender to His resurrection power, (2) suffering for righteousness as He did, and (3) being continually conformed to Christ by putting sin to death in his life.
Is knowing God better honestly your primary goal? Most Christians would like to say yes, but the way they invest their time and effort indicates otherwise. The desire may be there, but the action is not; there’s no “follow-through.” No one ever drifts into fulfilling a goal. Without expending effort, you have a wish, not a goal, and no progress is made without a plan to fulfill it.
Third, Paul whole-heartedly pursued his goal.
“Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (vv. 13-14).
Paul uses the imagery of a race. To make forward progress, you can’t carry baggage from the past (Heb. 12:1). Former accomplishments trip you up with pride, while failures and regret drag you down. Instead, run unencumbered, stretching forward with all your might to reach the finish line.
Did Paul succeed in achieving his goal? Listen to his last recorded words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
Wouldn’t you like to finish life like this, having set a goal of eternal value that you pursued with all your heart from year to year?
It’s possible. And it’s never too late to begin. Ask God for a fresh start. Relinquish any old baggage. And let this New Year spur you on to know the Lord above all else.
Are you ready to start 2024 with your eyes fixed on Jesus? That’s how Dr. Stanley lived his life, and he always encouraged us to do the same. There’s nothing better than maturing in Christ, no matter how long you’ve known Him. We pray you’ll grow by leaps and bounds this year. Till next time, God bless you.
For His Glory,
Your Friends at In Touch Ministries