Happy new year, friends! Is 2020 off to a good start for you?
While I’m personally not blazing into the new year with an ambitious list of resolutions, I’m certainly not against resolutions or goals. I think it’s always a good idea to sit back, review, and re-evaluate our priorities and practices, asking questions like:
- Practically, what’s working? What’s not working?
- What are my priorities in this season? Am I being faithful to these priorities?
- Am I building my life around the pursuit of Jesus and His Word?
- Am I daily meeting alone with Jesus to read His Word and pray?
- Have I developed any unhealthy habits that need to be dealt with through God’s grace?
- Are there any healthy habits/disciplines I need to cultivate in order to honor God and those He’s called me to serve?
The formula for lasting change
It’s rather easy to approach a new year with me and myself at the forefront of my mind. Give me five minutes and I will very quickly come up with a super long list of things I want to improve upon, disciplines I want to implement, and habits I want to shake. However, the motivation for discipline or resolutions or whatever you want to call it, should be JESUS and a greater pursuit of Him.
If loving Jesus is my aim, then my resolutions stem from the truth of His Word. And when changes are fueled by His grace, THEN I will see lasting, Spirit-borne fruit.
Over the past few days, I’ve been enjoying a number of resources that have reminded me to have a Christ-centered approach as I enter the new year in all its freshness and blank-canvas potential. I’m sharing them below. A number of them are audio resources because I find them to be such a great way to be encouraged while my hands are busy with dishes, laundry, or driving.
He Restores My Soul podcast with Jani Ortlund
I’ve never met Jani, but she has been a precious, godly mentor to me since 2014. The two podcasts below are her most recent and focus on “living with holy purpose in the coming years”. She shares how she approaches setting lifelong goals and then breaking them down into actionable steps, all with eternity and Jesus as her focus.
Living with Holy Purpose in the Coming Years [Part 1]
Living with Holy Purpose in the Coming Years [Part 2]
I highly recommend subscribing to her weekly podcast – you’ll find a treasure trove of wisdom and truth in her past episodes. You can subscribe to her podcast here.
Dwell Bible app
The Dwell app is a wonderful audio Bible app with multiple translations, reading voices, and instrumental background scores to choose from. I have loved using this app to fill my heart – and our home – with God’s Word. Even when I’m doing something mundane like getting ready in the morning or washing dishes, I can be filling my heart with truth.
Right now, you can save 33% on a yearly or lifetime subscription. This might seem like a frivolous expenditure for just an app, but if you can swing it, I don’t think you’ll regret this small investment.
Check out the app here.
Discipline: The Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot
I’ve picked up this slim volume more times than I can count and my copy is full of markings. I highly recommend it to anyone desiring to learn more about the discipline of stewarding time and other areas of life with grace and wisdom. In her endearing, no-nonsense stlyle, Elisabeth tackles the disciplines of time, feelings, the mind, work, and more with Scriptural wisdom.
Get your copy here.
Revive our Hearts podcast with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
Are you in the habit of daily meeting with the Lord in prayer and the reading of His Word? If not, this series is for YOU. And even if you are, listen to these two podcasts and be reminded of just how vital it is that you are nurturing a growing relationship with God through His Word.
I’ve been listening over the past couple days, and boy, was my heart encouraged. Sadly, I allowed holiday busyness to crowd out my time with the Lord. By His grace, I’m back in my rhythm, but wherever you’re at in this discipline, let Jesus and His Word be your greatest pursuit this year.
Discovering a Daily Devotional Life podcast series
The Personal Devotional Life by Dámaris Carbaugh
One of my sweet friends hosted the Revive ’19 live stream back in September and it was an incredibly rich time of hearing godly women teach from the Word of God. ALL the messages were excellent, but this one was my favorite and spoke so deeply to my heart. I hope you’ll take some to watch this. Damaris will have you chuckling, but she delivers life-giving truth that is aimed straight for our needy hearts.
Taking Time for a One Woman Retreat blog post by Sally Clarkson
Sally Clarkson is yet another godly older woman that has spoken so much truth and wisdom into my life. This post is a couple years old, but I read it when she first wrote it, and found the evaluation questions she lists to be so helpful as I approached a new year with intention. You can also access the corresponding podcast in the post link.
Taking Time for a One Woman Retreat to Start the New Year Well
I hope and pray that these resources encourage you as much as they’ve encouraged me. May your greatest aim this new year be to know Jesus more!
Tell me: what is one of your goals, intentions, or desires for this new year? I’d love to hear! Drop a comment below!
This post contains affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission on items you purchase through the links provided here. This doesn’t cost you anything extra but does help support my blog. I only share products and resources that I have personal experience with and recommend.
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