The New Year can usher in a lot of goal setting, big dreams, and resolutions. It’s a clean slate and another chance for us to write our story. But, if you are like me, by the time February rolls around, your goals may need a little tweaking. Have you ever been to a gym in January? There is hardly a vacant treadmill! But, give it a few weeks and things will be back to normal. Why is it like this? Why can’t we stick to our New Year’s resolutions? If I may, I’d like to challenge you to set a new goal this year with me. Let’s resolve to serve God with a renewed passion in 2020.

If a person has perfect vision, he or she is said to have “20/20 vision.” Let’s set our vision on the things of the Lord in 2020. How does one do this? Let’s start simply. Below are a few tips.

1. If you haven’t read your Bible in a while, find a reading plan that you can follow and dive in. If you are in Brother Paul’s Sunday School class, you can use your Sunday School book to guide your daily reading. If you have the Bible app on your phone, there are thousands of plans for you to choose from. In the church lobby, you can find “Our Daily Bread” devotion booklets that will help serve as a guide. Just start somewhere.


2. Pray. You wouldn’t live in the same house with your spouse or family member and not utter a word to them, would you? In the same regard, how can you have a relationship with God if you do not spend time in prayer? You can’t. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6 ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” God loves to hear from us. Have you ever considered what a privilege it is to pray? You are speaking to the Creator of the Universe. How amazing! If you struggle with what to say, just start having a conversation. Some of the best prayers I have prayed have taken place in my car (with my eyes open, of course!). When it’s me driving by myself, it’s usually uninterrupted time. As a mom of two littles, I don’t get that very often. But, I’ve found to make use of the time that I do have. God hears us anywhere we are and He loves to hear from us! I Peter 3:12 says, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer.”


3. Examine your life and ask the Lord to reveal anything to you that shouldn’t be there. Look at this like a spiritual check-up. It is common this time of year to see people emphasizing healthy eating, workouts, and financial tune-ups. But, how many people neglect the spirit man? Please don’t do that in the midst of working on other areas of your life. Have you missed church for a while? Come back. We miss you. You are part of the Body of Christ and when you aren’t present, it is felt by all. We need to take care of the temple of the Holy Spirit by eating healthy and exercising. And, yes, God wants us to be a good steward of the things He has given us. In the same regard, how often do we starve the spirit person? Take the time in 2020 to invest in your relationship with God. Let this be the year that you give God your very best.


4. Ask yourself, “where else can I plug in?” As our church grows, there are areas of ministry that need your help advancing the mission of the Gospel. Maybe you are already plugged in and are attending regularly, but you’ve never made it to Sunday School. I can’t tell you how much I have learned through our adult Sunday School class. Set a goal to wake up an hour earlier on Sunday morning. You won’t be sorry!

I’ve learned in my life that God is a generous giver. Anything you give to Him, He will give back. If you give Him your first fruits this year, or the very best that you have to give, He will reward you. And to be transparent and to keep myself accountable, I am including my family’s 2020 resolutions below:

1. Personally, I want to read the Bible through this year. I’ve attempted it before, but I’ve never completed it. I have found a Chronological Bible that divides passages into daily readings to help myself keep this goal.
   
2. Matthew and I want to have regular family devotions with our children. Our children are still very young, but we believe that it isn’t too early to start. They have already learned so much from Sunday School, Awana, and Nursery. But, as parents, we can’t let one to two hours a week at church be the only exposure they have to the Gospel. It is our responsibility to shepherd them in our home. We have found a small devotion book with short readings to use in order to help with their short attention spans.
   
3. Matthew and I want to study our Sunday School lessons before Sunday School. I’m ashamed to admit that this hasn’t always happened. Our Sunday School class is phenomenal! I don’t have the words to tell you how much we have learned through Brother Paul’s teaching. But, how much more would we get out of it if we prepare our hearts and minds by studying the week before? That is one of our goals for the year.
   
4. I want to do a better job of being a good steward of what the Lord has given me. He has blessed me with life and right now, I am fairly healthy. I want to honor Him by using what He has given me in the best way. I can do this by paying attention to what I eat, making sure I am getting enough rest, and blessing others by giving.
   

I hope you have a very blessed New Year! If you don’t make a single resolution in 2020, please put God first. I promise you, it will be the best decision you make all year.