Digging Deeper: New Beginnings
READY:
Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.
James 1:22-25 (MSG)
NEW BEGINNINGS
SET:
Happy New Year!
I love the possibility that comes with new beginnings. I’m one of those outliers that love Mondays because of the potential of a fresh start I see in the week ahead; so, naturally I love the start of a new year for the same reasons. According to Google, 37% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, with 87% of them saying they are very likely to keep it through the year. As you would probably guess most of the top resolutions revolve around finances and wellness. Whether you’re a fan of Mondays and New Year’s resolutions or not, I think we can all benefit from establishing habits that will set us up for success. Without question setting goals for bettering your health and finances are a great idea, but may I suggest that there is one far better?
In the scripture above James gives us a pretty clear action plan. Other translations tell us to not just listen to the word but to be doers of the word. I love directness of The Message translation above: “Act on what you hear.” What if we made this our true north for 2024? What would it look like to wake up every day and be intentional about acting on what we read in our quiet time with Jesus?
We don’t have to guess because James tells us in verse 24 what we can expect. He says that if we catch even a small glance from the corner of our eye of what God is teaching us and act on it, those actions will be affirmed! How beautiful is that? We don’t have to get the whole picture to get it right. God only wants our attention and obedience. He will fill in the gaps we leave as we walk in the way He calls us, the best we know how. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a goal I want to commit to for 2024!
GO:
- How can you make time with Jesus every day a priority this year?
- How can you plan to make the shift from hearing the word to doing the word?
WORKOUT:
- Deuteronomy 6:4–9
- Psalm 1:1–2
- Matthew 7:24–27
- John 15:10–14
OVERTIME:
Jesus, thank you for the fresh start of a new year! Thank you for the opportunity to meet with you each morning. Thank you that we don’t have to guess what your will is for our lives, that you promise to direct our decisions each day if we will meet with you asking for wisdom and guidance. Thank you for being a patient Father and not expecting us to grasp the whole picture, but allowing us to walk in your blessings because of our pure intentions in obedience to our understanding of Your call on our lives. Give us an abundance of discernment each day and help us to be intentional about acting on every single thing you lovingly direct us to do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Minda Seagraves has been married to her best friend, Russell, for 17 years and is mom to Carson and Maddie. She is also a full-time missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a chaplain to local female high school teams and supports 380 staff across four states in the U.S. and 20 countries in East Africa as the Regional Director of Talent Advancement with FCA. Minda and her family live in Acworth and have been attending NorthStar Church since 2020.