New Year Resolutions

We’ve made it to week two of 2022! As I think back over previous years, I am struck by God’s mercy toward me in those early January days.

There were years when we didn’t know we’d hear crushing words from doctors. There was that year we didn’t know a pandemic was on the horizon. There was the year we didn’t know a bike crash was coming, or the death of our unborn baby, or financial hardship, or marriage tension.

There were also years we didn’t know good things were ahead. Things like pregnancies, and trips, and strengthened friendships, and opportunities to serve others.

This year, as I’ve thought ahead and attempted to prepare for 2022, I have conflicting responses. Part of me wants to plan and set goals and map out the future. Part of me is hesitant of what is to come and what hardship is looming.

But whenever I sit down to try and make my plans, here is what keeps running through my mind:

“That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.”

If you aren’t familiar with those words – it is the answer to the Heidelberg Catechism Question: “What is your only comfort in life and death?” It’s something we recite at our church regularly, and I have been finding it helpful this year not so much in setting specific goals, but in creating a heart posture for the year ahead. 

I am not my own

I belong to Christ. 

That means whatever goals I have or resolutions I want to make, they are not first and foremost for my own gain. And when it feels too difficult to remove myself from the focus of my goals – I lean on the truth that it is also Christ who gives me a willingness and readiness to live for him – and change my priorities.  

It also means that God knows what is coming. He knows what joys tomorrow will bring, and what events will lead me to cling to him with all I’ve got.

How then do we walk out the things God has placed on our heart to prioritize this coming year? I believe it is through a relationship with God, mediated by the Holy Spirit, and executed through prayer. 

But how do we practically do this? Prayer sounds easy, but there are so many ways it gets complicated. Do we have to have the “right system”? What if we don’t know what to say? Does it have to happen at a certain time of day?

When our hearts are weary, prayer can feel even more overwhelming. Feelings of guilt and shame can creep in if we don’t think we are “praying enough”. We can long for more consistency or structure, but then struggle to know how to make that happen. Or we can wonder if prayer even “works” and wonder if it’s worth all the effort. 

So here is my heart for you – I have no desire to offer you another check-list or system that will make you feel overwhelmed or guilty if you don’t do it. And I certainly don’t want to give the illusion that if we pray “the right way” we can control God.

Instead, I want to nudge our weary hearts toward creating a praying life. 

A life long adventure of being tethered to Jesus, where we experience the give and take of prayer continually throughout our days and the years ahead. A tether that can withstand whatever this year will bring.

Prayer will guide our goals and resolutions for 2022, but it will do so much more. It will play a pivotal role in making us more like Jesus and opening our eyes to the work God is doing all around us. 

So, I’ve created a 31 Days of Prayer resource for us to kick off the new year (yes I’m using this tool too!). If you are a subscriber then this resource went out to you last week – just check your email if you haven’t seen it yet! (And if you are new here, or just haven’t subscribed yet – I’ll put the subscribe box below).

You’ll find a variety of ideas to help you incorporate prayer into all the aspects of your day. It’s meant to be used over 31 days – choosing a different prompt each day. Sometimes it’s a Bible verse to meditate over while pumping gas. Sometimes it’s an exercise for confessing sin. You’ll also find an easy way to use Christmas cards as prayer prompts for the year ahead. You can use it in any order you want. And I included boxes for those of you who enjoy checking things off!

I’ve already heard from some of you about ways you are using this resource, and it makes me so happy! One couple told me they are using it as they walk together each morning. Another woman shared that she downloaded the file onto her phone so she can reference it more easily throughout her days.

Overall the goal is that by the end of 31 Days, we will all have developed some new ways of communing with God, listening to his direction, and being conformed into the image of Christ. 

After all, we do not belong to ourselves. We are Christ’s and it is in Him that our weary hearts find all the encouragement we need. 

Grace and peace to you,
Marissa