Growing in Faith: 10 Spiritual Goals for the New Year.

With the New Year approaching resolutions have been on my mind and I’ve been inspired. Faith is a big part of life and when it comes to resolutions, goals, habits. Whatever you choose to call them at the heart of mine this year is my faith. If I did nothing else but choose to grow my faith this year I would call it a productive year and a good one.

So I was doing some thinking about the things I need to change and it seems like a lot. I also wanted to make sure it aligned with scripture because I don’t want to do anything that would take me away from God when all I want is to be closer to Him. I managed to narrow it down to ten goals.

STOP WORRYING

“Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:34

This year I want to stop worrying about things, I want to stop worrying about the future because I know God is in control I just need to let go. I want to stop worrying about things that are beyond my control and while I’d like to stop worrying completely I know it’ll be difficult so I’m aiming to only worry about things on the day and not before or after and trust God to do the rest.

FIND JOY IN HARD TIMES

“You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:11-12

I want to become more like Paul who had joy even in prison. I’m the kind of person who complains all the time when things go wrong and I want to stop. I want to be grateful for the things I have in hard times and let God lead me into places and opportunities where I can grow and change to better serve Him. I want to see the good in things at all times, not just when things are good.

OBEY WITHOUT QUESTION

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going.”
Hebrews 11:8

I struggle to listen to God’s calling over my life without questioning why I need to be doing it or doubting if it’s His voice I’m hearing. This year I want to obey without question, stop needing reassurance and walk out in faith to what God has in store for me.

TRUST GOD WHOLEHEARTEDLY

“So take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me.”
Acts 27:25

I want to trust God with my whole being. I want to be able to let Him lead me without anxieties nagging at me or doubts plaguing my conscience. I want to rest in confidence knowing God is in control and I am in safe hands.

BE LESS MATERIALISTIC

“He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”
Luke 12:15

I like to think I don’t have much stuff but the truth is I have a lot more than I think I do especially when it comes to books. Knowing that all of what I have is only temporary makes me want to not be so attached to them. None of them will be coming with me in the end, not even my body. This year I want to get rid of the materialistic, consumer mindset and start buying only what I need. I want to lead a more simple life where I don’t need all the things to be happy, I just need Jesus.

LET GO OF PERFECTIONISM

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I like things to be just right and sometimes it causes me stress when I can’t get it right, then I get overwhelmed and start worrying about it not being perfect until I give up. It’s a whole cycle. One that I want to break because it is not doing me good. None of us are perfect and striving for perfection is not wrong, but when it becomes all-consuming that it defeats the purpose of what you are working for something needs to change.

I want to stop being such a perfectionist and do my best to enjoy the process without getting so stressed about the tiniest of details. I believe that my life will feel so much lighter when I let go of perfection.

LET MY ACTIONS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

“You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.”
John 15:16

This year I want to let my actions speak for themselves. I want my life to be a living testimony of God and to stand out from the rest of the world. I don’t want to have empty actions that have no meaning I want everything I do to have a purpose and a meaning.

PRAY FOR MY ENEMIES

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Matthew 5:44

I pray for those I love, although I know I could do better in that department. But I also want to pray for the people who are against Jesus, the ones who are causing pain in this world because I know they need to know Jesus too. I’m not expecting miracles but I hope that my prayers will have an impact.

STOP JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

“Don’t accuse anyone without cause, when he has done you no harm.”
Proverbs 3:30

I have a bad habit of jumping to conclusions and then having to apologise for doing so. That cycle needs to end, I need to stop being so judgemental and assuming the worst. This year I want to start thinking before I speak more or keeping my mouth shut when I don’t know something for certain. I want the words that come out of my mouth to be positive and uplifting, words of goodness, peace and joy. I don’t want to hurt anyone or bring them down and I know God doesn’t want that for me either.

LET EVERYTHING I DO BE AN ACT OF WORSHIP

“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
Exodus 15:2

This year I want everything I do to be an act of worship, or at least most things. Worship is not just singing songs or going to church. I know that worship is more and I know that even the most mundane of things can be worship. Like keeping my body healthy and doing my skincare all of that can be an act of worship because God gave me this body. Our bodies are a gift and looking after them is like saying thank you to God for this gift you have given.

Well that concludes this post, and I hope that these goals have inspired you to analyse your life and create some goals that will help you grow your faith this year.