At the beginning of the year, we like to reflect on the passing year and set our intentions for the new one. For some people, this can be a little stressful because they feel the pressure to be better than the year before. Others get disappointed when they look back and notice that their year came and went without major life changes.
Looking back on 2023, it was a pretty uneventful year for me. It didn’t go as planned. I can look at it in two ways. Be sad and throw a pitty party about things not happening as expected or see it as a chill year. After all, uneventful is not a bad thing.
One of my new year’s goals is to get closer to God. That already sets my year into trusting the unknown because God’s way is a mystery to us. For me, it means leaving the driver's seat and enjoying the ride.
To set my mind and my heart into the uncertainty of 2024, I will meditate all year on this bible verse. Proverbs 16:9: We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it. No matter how much I want certain things to happen or not happen, it’s not up to me but up to Him. With this mindset, you let go of control and let God do what he does best. BE GOD!
With that being said, setting intentions is not a bad thing. Setting goals activates the will to be driven and to accomplish things in life. That is a great start for a new year. I like to view January 1st as a new open door. A world of possibilities. Doors that were closed and shut in 2023 belong to the past. Do not revisit those places and focus on the new one that just opened in front of you.
If you have decided to seek God relentlessly in 2024, then let's set our goals and intentions but be open-minded to God's spontaneous ways. Things can go as planned or they can take a turn, but in any circumstance, we are choosing to trust God. I feel that is so liberating!!!
If 2023 was your year and you accomplished everything you wanted, congratulations! I’m happy for you! If your year was not the best due to out-of-your-control situations, I have good news. That year is gone! Let’s focus on the new, on the things yet to come. If your year was as boring and uneventful as mine, it was still not the worst year yet so let’s move on and conquer the new one with God by our sides.
My point is, good or bad year there is no way to go wrong when we choose God to be the pilot of our decisions and actions in this new season. Look at this new year as new doors, as new opportunities. Seek closeness and intimacy with God. Make small changes that lead you to build a strong relationship with Him. Start small. Say a quick prayer first thing in the morning. Read 1 bible verse before bed and reflect on it. Listen to a Christian podcast while you work out. Find ways to incorporate little things that set your mind and heart in the right direction. Without even noticing, your relationship with God will be stronger and you will see the good instead of the bad. Let 2024 be a year of growth and open doors. Be a year of the revelation of God’s plan for our lives. Let the year be one of faith, resilience, prayer, trust, peace, and abundance.
Let’s focus on trusting and less on worrying. The best is yet to come!
