As the new year begins, let’s not just renew goals and aspirations, but start with a new spirit. With a heart that is soft and beating for God…
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26)
It’s easy in the beginning of a new year to get caught up in all the newness. Switching calendars, making goals, joining new things. January is all about starting fresh.
But before we get too caught up in gym memberships and monthly budgets, we should take some time to meet with God and see where He wants us to experience renewal.
Maybe last year was a difficult season for you. You found yourself pulling away from Him. Closing your Bible. Dodging invitations to church functions and services. You began to feel your heart harden, protecting itself from everyone and everything that hurt and disappointed it.
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
That hard heart will protect you, but it will also isolate you. From God, from family, from friends. And with your spirit behind those stone walls, how can it really thrive?
A new spirit in your heart of flesh
God does not want us cut off from Him, living solitary lives. He wants us to thrive and grow, experiencing the goodness He has generously blessed us with. Whether it’s the natural world, the people in our lives, or the plans He has for us, God has so much He wants to share.
But we have to be open to it.
Pray and ask God to take away that heart of stone and give you one of flesh. A heart that beats for Him and His great plans for you.
With a new spirit, we can meet the challenges and struggles of the coming year with a firm foundation. Knowing that we are not alone.
There’s nothing wrong with New Year’s resolutions to get out of debt, get a promotion, or get a degree. You can run a marathon, read 100 books, and visit all the national parks. But do it with a new spirit.
Include God in your goals this year and allow Him a place in them. Growing in our faith, accepting Him as our foundation, will renew us more than anything else we might start this January.
May you feel the softening in your heart and the lifting up of your spirit today.
Have a blessed Monday!
Looking for more encouragement and inspiration? Try these posts:
Inspirational Monday: Making New Beginnings Amidst Hurt
Inspirational Monday: Embracing Our New Selves
New Year’s Resolutions: How to Make ’em and Not Break ’em
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Yikes that quote from C.S. Lewis, it gives me the chills to think of a hardened heart as one that is buried in a casket! I am praying for God to show me the places in my life that need renewal and to bring back to life anything that is dead. Thank you for this beautiful thought provoking post! Happy New Year!
Yes, Donna, it really makes you think about the state of our own hearts. Thank you for reading!