“I love this passage because the link it draws between physical and spiritual fitness. ‘On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.’” - Cripple Gate
“Each of these years taught me a painful but valuable lesson: life is unpredictable…. this year, instead of setting specific goals, I’m focusing on something more foundational: habits and consistency.” - P&D
“Some… argue that resolutions themselves are not biblical, based on the fact that the Word of God itself provides us with a complete and authoritative compilation of God’s resolutions for His people to obey.” - American Mind
“No matter how crazy a year it’s been, our responsibilities as believers haven’t changed. On that basis, here are some questions I use to evaluate the past year in preparation for setting next year’s goals” - Chuck Lawless
“Such daily showing up, Dyck argues, may not look like much at first glance, but it is quietly revolutionary. It is the key for healthy marriage and family life, for building friendships, and for growing spiritually.” - Mere Orthodoxy
“How did you do with your vows of Bible reading last year? I hope you established the habit, whether you made it all the way through the Bible or not.” - Don Johnson
“Here are four lies to watch out for as we scroll. Lie #1: We should expect and prize dramatic results.” - TGC
“Memorize at least two scriptures per month. I wish I didn’t view this goal as a unique one, but I recognize the struggle with this discipline.” - BPNews
“I remember reading books and articles on pastoral ministry and leadership that emphasized the importance of vision and mission and 1-year goals and 5-year goals…. What if the real harvest is tested in generational faithfulness? What about 30-year goals for a church?” - Ref21
Last year at this time I wrote a column about the concept of taking time during this final week of the year (or, if you still need it, the first week of January) to plan for the new year.
This period has become quite meaningful to me, and I have grown to love the idea of investing time in reading, reflecting, scheduling, goal setting and generally preparing for the year ahead.
As I am engaged in that exercise this year, however, I realize that my schedule is still too cluttered with things that must (or at least should) be done during the old year, but which could easily have been done earlier.
