Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
I believe people should start new EVERY DAY and not every year, but if members of your congregation are going to make New Year's resolutions anyway, and I'm pretty sure they will, why not encourage them to make some that have less to do with their physical life and more to do with their spiritual life? When we focus more on Jesus and others we feel better about ourselves and the pressures of the world become less important. Simply stated, when we have greater inner peace, we'll have greater outer peace.
I'm told that it takes at least a month to change a habit, so it sure wouldn't hurt for the congregation as a whole to try something like a 100 day challenge, however, be sure that when you bring up any resolutions that you remind them that if they really want something to change, it might take more than a week. You can take these for yourself, create a list of ideas to put in the bulletin, or share them on social media or your website. Here are a few ideas to get you going. We can:
- Focus more on what we have than what we don't have by cultivating an attitude of gratitude through keeping a simple gratitude journal or list and regularly thanking God for those gifts. There will be many! Also, don't just be thankful for gifts that are things. God also provides, peace, faith, emotional security, etc. when we trust that they're there.
- Get in the habit of praying for others before you pray for yourself. Pray that God strengthen their faith, give them wisdom, courage, and joy in Him, and that the Spirit fill them with the knowledge of His love for them.
- Start taking prayer walks through your neighborhood either alone or with the family.
- Start a prayer chain or prayer schedule where different ministries and their leaders are prayed for on a rotating basis.
- If you don't have a regular time that you talk to God, start praying at the same time everyday.
- Turn off the car radio and use that time to pray, ponder God and life and all their wonders. Ask God to remind you that he is with you throughout the day.
- Reach out in a friendly way to others by cultivating a servant attitude through allowing congregational members to participate in visiting shut-ins or those in nursing homes or the hospital. We can all visit our shut-ins. It's amazing what a smiling face can do!
- We often forget to READ the Bible!! Make a resolution to read one chapter every night before you go to bed or right when you wake up in the morning. It takes just a few minutes! You can also join a group that is reading the Bible in a year or two.
- The music we listen to and the movies or tv shows we watch can have a profound effect on how we determine right or wrong. Choose one thing you know you need to change and substitute something more positive in its place. If you stream videos, take a few minutes to see what is most popular today. Are they God-pleasing? Do you need to adjust what your kids are watching, filling their minds with?
- Put your spiritual life first in at least one area: prayer, worship, study or reading, or service. It takes a while to change a habit, but we can all change our lives for the better if we change one thing at a time.
Encourage your congregation to resolve to make Jesus an active part of their lives!!
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