As we enter into a new year, many of us are thinking about what we want to change, what things we want to accomplish or achieve. We dream of what the new year will hold. Maybe it’s a health or dietary goal. Maybe it’s a financial goal. Maybe it’s a relational goal. Maybe you want to earn that promotion. Maybe you want to make some new friends. But have you considered: at the root of your goals, what do you want, really?
The problem is that most of us go into a new year with ONE thing that is exactly the same from the previous year: YOU. You may be older or live somewhere new but unless at the core, your beliefs have changed, you’re still the same you.
You see, each and every action you take is a result of what you truly believe, your most deeply-held beliefs about yourself, God, and the world and people around you. And unless you take the time to consider those deeply-held beliefs, you won’t really change anything.
THAT is why the only resolution I want you to make in 2023 is to read your Bible.
Really read it, let it sink in and let it change you from the inside out.
The Bible says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2a) and “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
If you want to change, I mean really change your life, you have to start with your core, deeply-held beliefs. Because it is these beliefs that really make the decisions about your day-to-day life:
- Your beliefs about who you are, what you are made of, and what you are capable of. Do you work from a place of fullness, completeness, enough-ness or from a place of lack and needing to prove something?
- Your beliefs about the world, the people, the circumstances around you. Do you find yourself always thinking about the circumstances around you and whether or not it is fair? Are you always comparing yourself to someone or something else?
- Your beliefs about God: Is He truly sovereign and omnipotent? Is He really in control and can He be trusted? Does He really love you and have your best in mind?
We all already have beliefs in these areas but oftentimes they are difficult to pin down because we do not think consciously about them. Most of these core beliefs are subconscious beliefs, we don’t even know we have them. But we can see the results of them every day. We see them in our priorities with our families. We see them in how we rest. We see them in how we respond to stressful events. We see them when things don’t go the way we hoped. So, the question is, are these core, deeply-held, subconscious beliefs based on God’s Truth? Are they what your Maker has already said in His Word? God has already answered those questions for you. But do your beliefs reflect His Truth or some other lower-case truth that you have come to based on your own life experiences or circumstances or understanding?
The way you perceive a situation, the words you speak to your kids, the values you have in your homes, and the priorities you use to organize your life will flow from what you believe deep down inside.
So if you really want to change your life, you have to start with what you believe. That is why the only resolution I want you to have in 2023 is to let your beliefs conform or be brought into alignment to God’s Word. His Word is the only real Truth with a capital “T” – are you living your life from it?
Don’t know where to start with this resolution? Let’s talk! E-mail me.
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