byWhat comes to mind when you think about preparing for a new year? To many, it feels like it’s time to reset. I remember watching an online course by a ministry titled “Reset” released just before the beginning of 2020. Indeed, the course was a blessing to me. But a new year is more than the start of a new calendar and a series of things in your life. It’s about God opening a new chapter in your life, and you must be prepared for it.
Realities about New Year resolutions
Many people set new goals and make plans about things to do when December is about to end and a few weeks into the new year. Our engineers even see a surge of traffic on our website for new year-related articles, usually making it to the top 3 most-read articles on our website per day throughout the season. It’s evident that many people want to change.
However, according to research from diverse companies, only a small percentage of people follow their New Year’s resolutions. Studies show that about 88% of people give up on their resolutions by the second week of January. That’s sad. But you can be amongst the few who see evident transformation in your life if you do what is right consistently.
Plan, follow, act
Jesus says in John 16:13 (NKJV) that,
“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”
This is specifically for believers in Christ. As a Christian, you have the advantage of the Holy Spirit, who foresees things ahead in you. That implies that He can show you which choices to add to your resolutions and even teach you how to plan, follow and take consistent actions to see that choice come to maximum fruition. I believe that many people fail in their resolutions because they don’t realise how incapacitated they are in life without God’s help. No matter how great your plan is, your strength to keep up with it will crumble with time if God is not involved. That is why some companies become defunct despite having hardworking employees. It’s not always about the plan but the help from on High.
God loves you and is so interested in your life that He doesn’t want you to live haphazardly. It’s time to put everything in order. So, as you gather all your ideas and plans for this year (or next if you are reading it in December), remember to pray and ask Him for wisdom and guidance in following through with what you put down. Many people say failure to plan means planning to fail. However, planning without clear-cut strategies and activities involved to ensure that the plan is realised is still a failure. Having and writing ideas is not enough. You need to know what to do to make such plans a success.
Let God be your help
Finally, I cannot end this article without re-emphasising God’s help in this new year. People face so many atrocities despite their grand plans and ideas. You are not exempt from facing life issues. So, admit that you need God’s help and pray for grace to do that.
Happy new year, dear friend.
