Reflection and New Things

As we say good-bye to 2019 and look forward 2020, many people set New Year’s resolutions, goals or other markers for the coming year.

Others refuse to use those terms – perhaps they are tired of setting resolutions that grow cold by February. Whatever the reason, most people I know do look at the New Year as a time of new beginnings.

For 2019, I tried something different. I chose a word for the year and used it as my focus in many facets of life. My word for 2019 has been discipline. Some definitions I used for my word were: 1) Making a decision to do something that is in your best interest to do, and following through to the end; 2) Not weak, flabby or indulgent; 3) the ability to regulate conduct by principle and judgment rather than impulse, desire or social custom; 4) the permanent adjustment of living pattern.

I used discipline to focus in areas of health, relationships, financial health, business, and ministry. A couple of weeks ago, I sat down to list out what I had accomplished from my focus and was amazed. Throughout the year, I was so focused on the doing, I didn’t step back and view the results. The listing of the accomplishments was a great reminder that God was at work in my life. At the beginning of the year I had spent a lot of time in prayer on what my word should be and really felt God speak that discipline was to be that word. As I reflected on 2019, He knew better than I did what was needed in my life and He performed things I never would have thought possible.

As I reflected on 2019, I was reminded of Isaiah 43:18-19, “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

God did do a new thing in me in 2019. However, I cannot stay there. As I look to 2020, there is more He wants to accomplish in me. My word for 2020 is relationship. Based on what happened in 2019, I have great expectancy that God is going to grow and develop my relationships with Him, my family and friends in the coming year. I have no idea what that will look like yet, but I trust the One who prompted me to choose that word for 2020.

How about you? Do you have areas in your life where God is prompting change or focus? If so, are you willing to yield those areas to the One who can affect life-change? I encourage you to spend time in prayer asking Him to reveal areas where He wants you to focus in the coming year. My prayer for you is that as you reflect on 2020 in twelve months, you will be amazed at what He has accomplished in your life.