Flourishing Life

“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better person.” – Benjamin Franklin

What’s going to change Saturday night? Think about it. The day will move from Saturday to Sunday, the month from December to January, the year from 2016 to 2017. It will be a change of date. But there’s something about it when the year changes. We have a sense of hope, of new beginnings, new possibilities. We’d like to think something might change.

The Christian faith is about change, continuous change, really. First, we’re called to repent and turn to God. When we commit our lives to Christ it’s a huge change. This change ushers in more change as the Holy Spirit begins a process of transformation. The Apostle Paul wrote: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 For. 3:18 NIV). And, just like any New Year’s resolution, the process of transformation called discipleship requires us to exert effort.

What does God want to change in you this year? What vices or bad habits might you be called to leave behind? What negative emotions are needing to be evicted from your heart? What life-giving habits might you be called to begin? What kind of impact does God want you to have on those around you? God’s love can transform us if we’ll be open to it. What’s going to change this year? We can!