5 Christ-Centered Priorities for a New Year

Music. Welcome to the Thankful Homemaker podcast, a podcast to be an encouragement and blessing to each other in the role God has called us to as women.

I'm so thankful you've stopped by, so grab yourself a coffee or tea and sit with me a bit as we talk about how God's Word impacts every area of our lives as Christian women. Hello, friend. I'm Marci Farrell from Thankful Homemaker, and I'm so glad to be with you today. And Happy New Year! So as we are turning this calendar to 2025, I have been reflecting on what I wanted to share with you to begin this new year. And I've had a lot of ideas in my head and on paper.

If you've been here, but you already know that I'm a planner, I'm a routine lover and a goal setter. I like to call them spiritual priorities. And this time of year, I know for me, sometimes it can be really easy to feel overwhelmed by the abundance of advice on productivity and self-improvement. And there's a lot of good stuff out there and I really appreciate it.

But as believers, we need to always remember our ultimate goal, it's not productivity for its own sake, but it's to glorify God in all we do. So I've shared in the past in a podcast episode on how I set spiritual priorities each year. And my husband and I, I have the seven areas that I work through. And then my husband and I, we also take time to set spiritual priorities together for our marriage and family and home and church family.

Just what is the year? What are some things that we would like to accomplish or see worked in the lives of our family this year? And we kind of do that in those groups, and we also do it with our personal walks with the Lord. And those times together with Him, they're just really sweet moments of prayer and reflection as we seek God's guidance together.

So coming back to that at the beginning where I talked about all these ideas in my head and on paper, I know there is so much out there, and I don't want to add to it, but But my hope is that however we start our year, this is kind of where I've landed. I wanna keep our focus as believers on lasting God-centered priorities. And that's why I've titled this episode Anchoring 2025 in Christ. You know my issues with titles, I really struggle, but that's where I landed with this one.

We're on episode 167 here on the podcast. With that thought in mind, I want to start off here with Colossians 3, verses 1 through 2. It states, if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. That verse, it's just a helpful reminder for the start of a new year.

It's really easy to get caught up in the temporal goals of this world, and there's nothing wrong with setting goals and planning. I do all those things, and I'm grateful. These are good things to do. But Paul is encouraging us here to look up, to fix our hearts and minds on Christ and the eternal purposes that he has for us. And our problem is that we can get too caught up in the temporal, and we easily forget about the eternal.

And I'm raising my hand here because I fall into this thinking more often than I would like to. So as we step into this new year together, I want to share five key areas to help us keep Christ at the center of our lives this year. And the list I'm walking through with you, it's not exhaustive by any means, but it includes ones that have been on my heart and mind that I've worked through.

So today we're going to walk through renewing our minds, redeeming our time, serving with humility, walking in gratitude and contentment, and keeping an eternal perspective. And these purposes, they align with the spiritual goals, the priorities that my husband and I discuss each year. And then I also hope that they will encourage you or spark some thoughts on how you can focus on setting Christ-centered priorities for your own life.

So I do have many additional podcasts or articles that explore these areas a bit more deeply, and I will link to them in the main show notes over at the blog at thankfulhomemaker.com. And again, if you're listening to this later and it's not at the top of the blog, this is episode 167, Anchoring 2025 in Christ. You can put that in the search, and this post will come up for you.

So my prayer and hope is that this episode will encourage you to step into the year ahead with purpose and joy and a heart fixed on things above, not just for 2025, but for every season of our lives that the Lord has gifted us here on this earth. So I've titled this next part of it Biblical Priorities for the Year Ahead, and I stated I have the five priorities. So the first priority we're going to walk through is renewing our minds.

And my key verse here is Romans 12, 2. It states. This verse is really foundational as we step into a new year with a heart and mind focused on Christ. Paul, the Apostle Paul here, he calls us to avoid being conformed to this world, to resist the patterns and values that they pull us toward self-centered living. I like to say towards that selfishness, right? And they pull us towards distractions. And instead, we're to pursue transformation through the renewing of our minds.

And this renewal, it's not something we can achieve on our own. It's the work of the Holy Spirit using God's Word to shape our thoughts and desires and actions to align with Christ. So as we are immersing ourselves in Scripture and we're thinking deeply on it, right, we're meditating on it and we're living it out, we're being obedient to it and we're applying it, our minds are shaped by His truth and we begin to understand His will, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

And renewing our minds, it's also a vital part of sanctification. And that's the lifelong process by which God, through the Holy Spirit, transforms us more and more into the image of Christ. And transformation doesn't happen overnight. It's a gradual, steady work of grace where God shapes us for his purposes and grows us in holiness. And sanctification is both God's work and our responsibility.

And Philippians 2.13 reminds us, it's God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. And the Holy Spirit, it plays a central role, right? The Spirit convicts us of sin. It illuminates scripture. It produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. That's Galatians 5.22.23. I mean, that's how we're maturing when we see that fruit developing and maturing in our lives.

At the same time, we're called to actively participate. Romans 12.2 challenges us to align our thoughts and actions with God's word, while Hebrews 12, 14 encourages us to strive for holiness, not as a means to earn salvation, but as a response to God's grace. So this process, it's often slow and steady in our lives, and we know this.

Think of it as planting seeds. Each day that you spend in God's word, even if it feels really small or insignificant, you're planting seeds that they're going to bear fruit in good time. Galatians 6, 9 encourages us, such a great passage, let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So over time, when we look back, we'll see the growth, like a tree that grows stronger with deeper roots and the ability to bear fruit. It takes time.

It takes a lifetime here on this earth, but it is so worth the wait. If sanctification were instantaneous, we'd miss the beauty of depending on the Lord, learning from Him, experiencing His grace in the struggles we face. God uses this process to draw us closer to Him. It teaches us to trust Him more deeply. It grows us in faith and maturity.

We're able and equipped to come alongside other believers and walk alongside and be that encouragement to them to spur them on as we go through these various trials and different situations in our life that the Lord has allowed or ordained. He's growing us more in Christlikeness moment by moment in them because the goal of sanctification, it's to become more like Jesus. Romans 8.29 tells us that God has predestined us to be conformed to the image of his son.

So as we grow in holiness, our lives begin to reflect Christ's character. It brings glory to God. It draws others to him. I'm thinking here, 2 Corinthians 3.18. This process It prepares us for eternity. 2 Corinthians 4, 16 to 17 assures us that while our outer self is wasting away, and I know that, I'm pushing 60 now, our inner self is being renewed day by day for an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison.

So I do, I want to go through just, I'm going to throw a few bullet point practical steps here to renew our mind, just to get you thinking, all right? This is not this like list that you need to follow. I'm just going to throw some thoughts there. And I do also, if you want a little deeper, I have a whole series on the spiritual disciplines on my podcast that I'll link to. So the first one is immerse yourself in scripture. Pretty basic here, right?

Commit to daily Bible reading. My friend, even if it's just a few verses or a chapter a day, whatever you can do that you want to build a habit, consistency allows God's word to saturate your heart over time. So figure out a good reading plan that suits your season of life. And look at the length of it. You don't have to read through the whole Bible in a year. You could take two years. You could take three years. It is okay. Study scripture. So go beyond your reading by studying deeply.

Use good, trusted resources like a study Bible or commentaries to help you enrich your time in the Word. Ask questions as you're reading the Scripture. This is a really easy way to do it. Come up with some good questions. I actually have a little Daily Time in the Word free PDF guide in my free library I'll try to remember to link to that has some questions to kind of get you started and walk you through Daily Time in the Word. But think about questions like, what does this teach me about God?

How does it point to Christ? How should it change my thinking or action? And so you're interacting with the scripture and you're applying what you read. Pray through scripture. Donald Whitney's book, Praying the Bible, was just a huge help to me. It's a small little book, but it's one if you haven't read, I really encourage you to pick that one up.

Turn your Bible reading into prayer. So if you're reading Romans 12, 2, you can simply pray, Lord, help me not to conform to this world, but transform me through the renewal of my mind. Help me to be focused on you, Lord, and not the things of this world, that my mind would be on eternity. You could just turn those verses into a prayer back to the Lord. Memorize scripture. This is a big one. I've shared it before. I know I've shared my favorite app to use.

I use the Bible memory app, but you can use three by five cards. You don't need anything special to do this, right? Hide God's word in your heart. Pick some key passages you want to memorize, or maybe it's a whole chapter. Maybe you want to memorize a whole book of the Bible or a psalm. But our reality is, whether it's the Bible memory app, because I get behind in it.

So I'm not always as consistent as I'd like to be. I have good seasons and not so good seasons, but I always come back at it and they're ready for me. And it's amazing how quickly those verses are in my memory bank and I've got them there. But we have to be intentional in doing it, right? So basically, when you think about it, those truths that you're memorizing, they're going to guide and sustain you throughout your day. So that's a big one, memorizing scripture. And then limit distractions.

You know the distractions in your life, just like I know the distractions in my life. Replace that time with some good scripture time, prayer time, Christ-centered resources, where there's areas that you know and you're convicted that you need to change. Make a point to do something about it. We really want to be mindful of what shapes our thoughts, right? That's really important. So closing this section out here on our first priority, renewing our minds,

it's really a key part of growing in sanctification. It means making time to take in and meditate on God's word to transform us. Because as you think about renewing your mind this year, don't just focus on checking off a list like, hey, I read my Bible for the day. I did it. Focus on staying faithful and letting God do the transforming.

Trust that every small step that you do, that daily scripture reading, time and prayer with him, meditating, right, thinking deeply on his word, that's all part of God's greater plan to prepare you for eternity. Philippians 1, 6 reminds us, he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. So I pray that that will encourage you to stay faithful, trusting that God will use your obedience, however small, for his glory.

So the second priority I want to work through is redeeming the time. And the key verse here that I'm working through is Ephesians 5, 15 to 16, and it reads, look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of time because the days are evil. So this passage really reminds us of the value and brevity of our time. And Paul's call here to redeem the time, it urges us to live with purpose and wisdom and focusing on God's will.

Because in this world full of distractions, redeeming the time means choosing what truly matters, right? time in the word, serving the Lord, loving others, keeping our hearts fixed on eternity. I do have a whole episode on this. I'll link too. That goes much more than what I'm going to share here, but this is so important. So to redeem, really, what does it mean to redeem the time, right? I'm always, when I put podcasts together, I'm always asking myself questions

that I think we might be asking. So what does it mean to redeem the time? It really means to make the most of the moments God has given us, remembering that our days are limited. It's about walking with intentionality. We're going to prioritize activities that honor the Lord, and we're going to be avoiding that pool of procrastination or distractions, or may I even say laziness, because I fall into laziness.

We need to be mindful that time is a gift from God, and we're called to use it wisely in ways that glorify him. So again, I'm going to throw some practical bullet point thoughts here by you. Again, these are ones that I'm kind of working through and I'm always thinking through. This is a big one for me. Simplify your schedule. I really, I need to sit down this year. I feel on overload a little bit, but to sit down and evaluate my commitments,

are they aligned with God's calling for me? I mean, my home and family, like how are those areas being served? Is there some areas that are being neglected there? So I want to evaluate my commitments. And then I need to be prayerful and ask the Lord to help me to show which like maybe tasks or activities that are detracting from my spiritual growth or relationships that I need to be focused on or ministry needs that I need to be involved in.

I want to let go of things that are pulling me away from those. And I want to focus on what is best for this season, not just what is good. There's a lot of good out there, but what is best for me right now? And this isn't easy stuff to work through. I know I'll seek out my husband on this and guidance or my daughter. Sometimes we can work through some of this together. Sometimes somebody outside of me has a better eye on it than I do.

So reduce distractions. So limiting these non-essential activities doesn't mean you can't do them. I'm just saying limit them. Like watch your time, right? Things like scrolling social media or unnecessary screen time. I'm not a news app person, but if you're a news app person, like things like that to watch or your TV time even. We have all these streaming services. Goodness, you could binge watch a whole series in one evening where before we had to wait.

Remember, if you missed it, you had to like wait until it was on a repeat episode. So this is a whole new world out there. But there were plenty of distractions then too. So it's been, right, nothing new under the sun. So turn off notifications on your phone or set specific times for online activities. And then think about ways, how can you replace some of those time wasters with maybe some habits that are a little more spiritually enriching is how I'm going to say it.

Things like prayer or scripture reading or reading a good solid Christian nonfiction book, something theologically based or encouraging or something that's a little more edifying. Using small moments wisely. I love this. Those little five nugget things.

Way back in the day, it's not so much spiritually focused necessarily, although there are things in there, but a long time ago on my blog, it's probably a 15-year-old post on there, I had, if you had five minutes, what could you do in five minutes? And it was amazing the list that I sat there and wrote all the things you could think of to do in five minutes. So redeeming the time can really happen in those little moments.

Like you can pray while you're waiting in line. You can listen to a sermon or scripture during chores or commutes. You could grab a good audio book to listen to. You can send a quick note of encouragement to someone who needs it. You can plan with an eternal perspective. This is another one. Actually, this is my next step. Those are my small moments. Now you could plan the next little nugget here is plan with an eternal perspective.

So as you're doing your planning, you can ask yourself questions like, does this activity matter in light of eternity? You can prioritize your time with the Lord, with family, with your church family, and others in ways that reflect eternal values. And then also take the time to invest in discipleship, sharing the gospel, serving others. So when you're doing your planning, start to think with an eternal perspective.

So that my little bullet points there were kind of, and this will be on the main post at the blog too. I'll try to put a lot of this in there. with simplify your schedule, reduce distractions, use small moments wisely, and plan with an eternal perspective. And just to kind of close out this section, just some reminders here. Redeeming the time, it's not about filling every moment with busyness. It's about intentional living.

So God is sovereign over time. Proverbs 16, 9 tells us, the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Trust the Lord to guide your plans for his glory. And then just faithfulness in small steps, right? that Galatians 6, 9 again, it encourages us to persevere in doing good, trusting that we will reap a harvest in due time. And rest in God's grace. Philippians 2, 13 reminds us, it's God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

We're not going to redeem the time perfectly, but that's not the goal. It's about taking small, faithful steps to honor God with the moments he gives us. Trust him to use your efforts, no matter how small they may seem, for his eternal purposes.

And then our third priority is serving others with a heart of humility. And the key verse here is Philippians 2, three through four. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

So this passage is calling us to Christ-like humility. And Paul here, he's exhorting us to put aside selfish ambition and consider others' needs as more important than our own. I just walked through this passage with my grandkiddos this morning. We had them here overnight and we were talking through this passage. And even the reminder here, this humility, it doesn't come naturally. It's a work of the Spirit as we walk with Christ and we follow his example.

And I think of the example of Christ's humility, because as we continue down in Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 8, it points us to Jesus, who though fully God, took on the form of a servant, humbling himself in obedience to the point of death on the cross. So his humility, it wasn't just an outward action, but it was a reflection of his heart. And as believers, we're called to adopt his mindset of selflessness and service and sacrifice.

Paul encourages us here to reflect Christ's humility by treating others with kindness and gentleness and compassion. Because true humility, it shifts our focus from ourselves to others, and it's prioritizing their needs and serving them with love. And let me go through my little bullet point practical ways here. Start in your home. Very simply, look for small, intentional ways to show love to your family.

Work on this with your kiddos. I think of things like modeling and showing to them what it looks like to help without being asked, what it looks like to listen attentively, to pay attention. Because I know sometimes we can be really good at doing this with other people to really, when they're talking, we're listening attentively. But maybe we don't do that so well with our kiddos, that when they're talking to us, we just need to stop and look at them and pause and take in what they're saying.

Offer encouragement or kind words when it's least expected, because these small acts, they model Christ's love to those closest to us. And then extend this to your church and community, just serving in your local church, helping in whatever ministries that might be, whether it's washing dishes after an event or watching the little ones in the nursery or assisting with hospitality. I know they always need volunteers in the children's programs. I know that's a big one in our church.

But just, you know what? Sending an encouraging note to your pastor after the sermon would be a sweet thing to do. And then I think like in our communities. So... Being there for your neighbors. Are you a good neighbor? Do you model Christlikeness to your neighbor? Have you shared the gospel with your neighbor? Have you had them over for dinner and just spent time talking with them and getting to know them?

Bringing a meal to someone in need. And I think that within our church family, that's huge. But even within our neighborhoods, to know when somebody on your road had a baby that you know, or maybe there was a death in the family, to just be able to reach out in those ways. Visiting a shut-in or sending a note of encouragement, I think,

are helpful, too. because humility really, it seems to shine the brightest in those unseen acts of love that are done behind the scenes, that no one knows about but you and the Lord.

Another area is focusing on Christ-likeness, not accomplishments, like cultivating, I don't know how to state this right, like Christ-like attitudes, things like humility and kindness and selflessness, that's a tough word to say, which are reflecting the fruit of the Spirit there, pointing others to Christ in that way, overcoming our selfishness. Humility really challenges our natural tendency towards selfishness. I know that's a big one. So what are ways that we can overcome selfishness, right?

We can renew our mind. We can meditate on God's Word to shape our attitude. We can show dependence on the Spirit. We can ask the Holy Spirit to grow Christ-like humility in our heart. And then we can prayerfully surrender our lives to the Lord by laying down pride and asking God to help us to see others as he does. I do have a really good episode. I'm saying a really, that sounds terrible. That sounds really prideful, doesn't it? But it was a good episode because it wasn't from me fully.

It was from Stuart Scott's book on, I don't know the title. It's like pride, from pride to humility, maybe. I'm not sure the title, I might have that wrong, but I have an episode, I think it's called 10 Manifestations of Humility. That's really a helpful listen to. So I will try to remember to link that if you want a little bit more on that. But to kind of close this section out, this third priority here.

You want to serve serving others with humility. It really reflects Christ's heart and it brings joy and purpose. It's about genuinely desiring the best for others, even if it comes at a personal cost to you. And be encouraged, friend, because your acts of service, no matter how small, even if they're just in your own home with your kiddos and your hubby, they are seen and treasured by God. It's Matthew 25, 40. Jesus showed us that greatness in God's kingdom is found in serving others.

And I'm referencing Mark 10, 43 to 45 there. So be patient. Developing humility takes time. Trust the Lord to grow this virtue in your heart. So serving others with humility, it's not about trying to do it all in your own strength. It's about reflecting the love and grace of Christ that you have been shown. So start right where you are with what you have and trust God to use your efforts for his glory. and ask yourself questions like, who can I serve today?

How can I reflect the humility of Christ in my relationships, in my home? In these small, faithful steps, as we put others first, God is glorified and his love is made known.

Our fourth priority is walking in gratitude and contentment. These are two areas that are, actually, if you listened to my last podcast, these are my one weaknesses. I'm going to put them together. Just areas that I struggle in. So my two key verses here are 1 Thessalonians 5.18, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. And Philippians 4.11, not that I'm speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

So gratitude and contentment, they are not dependent on our circumstances, but they're rooted in our relationship with Jesus. And gratitude flows from a heart that recognizes God's goodness in all things, Romans 8.28, thinking, while contentment is the peace that comes from fully trusting him in every season of life, whatever it may bring. So gratitude sees each day as a gift.

1 Thessalonians 5.18 calls us to give thanks in all circumstances, not because every situation is easy, but because God is working his purposes through them. Even in the hard times, we can trust his ways are always perfect. Gratitude begins by seeing each day as a gift from the Lord. So whether it's filled with blessings or challenges, we can thank him for his presence and provision and his promises.

They are always true and always faithful. As we practice gratitude and acknowledge His sovereign hand, our hearts are going to align with His will and our faith will grow. And Ephesians 5.20 reminds us to give thanks always and for everything, knowing even difficult days are tools in His hands to shape us for His glory. And then contentment, as I stated earlier, it's really we're trusting God in every season. Philippians 4.11 teaches us that contentment is learned through dependence on Christ.

It's not natural, but it's cultivated as we walk with Him right through the Holy Spirit, working within us and experience His faithfulness. True contentment rests in trusting the Lord to meet our needs, and we are acknowledging that Christ is sufficient in every situation. So let's go through some practical bullet points again. So simple ways to cultivate gratitude and contentment. Start with a gratitude journal, just writing down two or three things that you're

thankful for each day, whether small or significant. There's something about getting it on paper. Maybe you journal. Maybe you just keep a notebook in the kitchen somewhere or by your quiet time area. I think just journaling, just writing out even our prayers and things we're thankful for, it really helps us to reflect on God's goodness and notice his blessings.

Another one is meditate on God's faithfulness. Just reflect, think back on how God has sustained you in the past through answered prayer, through various trials you walk through, how he's grown you through them, how he's used his word in your life, how his character is unchanging. Psalm 103 verse 2 encourages us to forget not all his benefits. Remember all the goodness of the Lord.

And number three is trust his provision in each season. Contentment grows as we trust God to meet our needs in his timing and in his way. Sometimes they're not needs that we're bringing, they're our wants. But God knows what we need. He knows what's best for us. He knows what's molding us more and more into the image of his son. And he knows what's needed in my life. And he knows what's needed in your life to do that.

Another one is cultivate gratitude in relationships. Express thankfulness to those around you. Send thank you notes. sent encouraging texts, a simple thank you can be such a blessing to a relationship, and it reflects Christ's love. So kind of closing this fourth priority. Gratitude and contentment, they are daily choices that draw us closer to the Lord. And as we practice them, we're acknowledging that God is good, and He's sovereign, and He's faithful in every season.

And our world would tell us to search for comfort and convenience and just more, to get more and more. But Christ, He tells us to rest in Him because true joy and peace are found in His sufficiency. And remember, these are not these emotions to conjure up, but these are biblical virtues to cultivate through the Holy Spirit's power. So start small.

Write down two to three things you're thankful for each day or pause to thank Him in moments during your day for family or friends or for your daily tasks. Trust that as we grow in gratitude and contentment, the Lord is going to use them to align our hearts with his perfect plan.

And the fifth priority here is keeping an eternal perspective. This is one I'm continuing to pray and ask the Lord to help me with. The key verse here is 2 Corinthians 4.18, for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Our world is fleeting, and I've shared the older I get, the more I long to fix my eyes on the eternal rather than the temporal, because having an eternal perspective, it's going to affect everything, our choices, how we spend our time, how we deal with the things of the day that come into our lives and all the other priorities we covered here, right? Like contentment and gratitude and serving with humility. It reflects where our true hope lies, that it is in Christ alone.

It's really easy to get caught up in the visible, right? The struggles and the hardships of life in this fallen world, we can just get kind of stuck there and our eyes get focus there. But when we view them through the lens of eternity, we remember that they're momentary compared to the eternal weight of glory that awaits us.

And when we focus on the unseen, on God's promises, on his kingdom, on the hope of eternity, it gives us the strength to endure trials and resist distractions and prioritize what truly matters. And it reshapes our values, our relationships with one another, and our purpose to align with God's eternal plan. So let's go through a handful of practical ways here to keep it. Number one is share the gospel with others. This is huge. We probably don't do this as often as we should.

Share the hope of salvation. As we do that, as we share our hope of salvation in Christ, it immediately shifts our focus from ourselves to the eternal. It puts my eyes on Christ. So build those relationships. Share the gospel verbally, not just through actions. We want our actions to show what we believe and be lived out, but we need to open our mouths and share the gospel.

Keep things like some good solid tracks on hand or some short books handy as tools to plant seeds that may impact eternity, and you don't even know how they may affect others. Discipling friends or family members. Discipleship, coming alongside another believer, that's an internal investment. Study God's word together, pray for one another, read good books together and talk about them. Walk alongside others in daily life. Just work through situations and point each other back towards Christ.

I think of my mamas and grandmas out there. Remember the eternal impact of pointing your children and grandchildren to Christ even. We are always discipling someone. We are. Using our time and resources to glorify God. So just regularly as you're doing that planning, evaluate how you're spending your time and energy and resources. Are they invested in things with eternal value? You know, I think you're prioritizing things like your work in your local church with your local church family.

How are you serving or helping coming alongside those in missions? You know, whether it's writing letters or being able to give financially or encourage in some way. And then just serving others. And then again, time in God's word and prayer, I'm just throwing some things that we would invest in that have eternal value. And Matthew 6, 19 to 20, I have a whole episode on that one, right? If you listened with me to the Sermon on the Mount, that was probably one of my favorites to put together.

It reminds us to store up treasures in heaven where they will never fade or be destroyed. So closing up this last priority here, an eternal perspective, it centers our focus on Christ as our ultimate goal. Because each decision we make, It's reflecting whether we're drawing closer to Him or we're being distracted by what is fleeting. Philippians 3.14 states, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

And Paul's words remind us that the Christian life, it is active. We're called to press forward, growing, and running toward the ultimate goal of being with Christ and like Christ. Charles Spurgeon stated this beautifully on this verse. He said, always making progress, throwing himself into it, having the reward before him, the prize of perfection in Christ, and running towards it with all his might. I think Charles Spurgeon so captured the heart of that verse.

He reminded us that it's not about striving in our own strength, but it's being fully surrendered to Christ, that we're to pursue him with everything we have, knowing that he's the one who enables us to run. My friend, that is a beautiful picture of progress, not perfection. As we trust the Lord to complete his work in us, we can be encouraged to practice, on keeping the prize of Christ before us and running the race with hearts filled with hope and joy in him.

An eternal perspective, it doesn't dismiss the present, but it views it through the lens of God's eternal purposes. Every joy and challenge, it's part of a bigger story that ends in the hope of glory with Christ. That Colossians 3 again, right? Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. As we fix our eyes on him, the things of this world will grow strangely dim. I really love that.

And they will pale in comparison to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, our Lord. Christ is our treasure, and he is our worth pursuing above all else.

So as I'm winding down here, as we begin this new year, let's remember that our walk with the Lord, it's not about doing more or trying harder. It's so easy to fall into this thinking that it all depends on us. I do this, so I get this. Instead, it's about faithfully walking with him each day, moment by moment. And there will be moments, probably many moments, where we fail. But when we do, our good God is there. He's waiting for us to turn to him,

and his mercies are new every morning. His grace is always enough. So as you plan your days, keep your eyes fixed on him and trust that he will guide you every step of the way. Philippians 1.6 reassures us, and I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. God himself is at work in us. And that, quote, good work that Paul refers to, it's the work of salvation and sanctification that began the moment we trusted in Christ.

God initiated it, and he's going to complete it. This truth reminds us that our spiritual growth doesn't rest on our shoulders. While we're called to live faithfully and intentionally, we can rest in his power and grace as we take each step. Growth in Christ, it's not a quick fix or a one-time solution. We are not instantly zapped into perfect holiness here, right? It is a gradual process shaped by daily habits of grace.

So my friend, as we spend time in the word and we pray and we walk in obedience and we're keeping those eyes on the eternal, right? We're being sanctified. It's a gradual process and it takes time. And the Lord uses every season of our lives, whether joyful or challenging, to shape us into the image of his son. I've said it, I've heard it said, I should say, that we need to think of this as a journey, not a destination.

So each day as we trust and depend on him, he works in us to will and act according to his good purpose. So let me just give you some practical encouragement for the year ahead here. Trust God's timing, right? God's work in you, it is ongoing. And though you may not see these dramatic changes daily over time, you're going to notice steady, faithful growth. Isaiah 64 8 reminds us that God is the potter and we are the clay.

Trust him to mold you according to his perfect plan and in his way and in his timing. And then focus on faithful habits. Growth happens again through small, consistent steps. Prioritize habits of grace like scripture reading, prayer, and serving others. Don't be discouraged by setbacks. Lamentations 3.22.23 reminds us that God's mercies are new every morning. You miss your Bible reading one day? Tomorrow's a new day. His mercies are new.

Remember God's promises. Meditate on verses like Philippians 1.6 to remind yourself that God is faithful. When you feel weary or inadequate, hold fast to the assurance that He is going to complete His work in you. And then take it a day at a time. Don't let the weight of the year overwhelm you. Don't, you know, I'm, again, I, you get like all my weaknesses here. I fall into overwhelm mode pretty easily at times. And Matthew 6, 34 is a verse that comforts me continuously. I remind myself.

It says, therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself, sufficient for the day is its own trouble. I just need to focus on being faithful today. God supplies all I need one day at a time. So as we step into this new year, we want to cling to the promise of Philippians 1, 6, that he who began a good work and you will bring it to completion.

I love that verse. Again, I'm not sharing anything new here with you, my dear friend, but I hope that these reminders will encourage you. We're forgetful people. I know I am. I need these truths often. God's work in our lives doesn't depend on our strength, but on his faithfulness, and that truth alone should bring us great comfort. Our part is to trust him, be faithful to what he's called us to, and surrender each day to his plan.

So whatever this year may bring you, and your planning, and whatever you're doing, rest assured that the God who began his good work and you will see through it. I'm so grateful for your time as we enter this new year together, and I pray this episode did encourage you to focus on the Lord, to trust in His faithfulness and take intentional steps in your walk with Him. So I'm gonna give you a quick review of those five areas, all right?

They were renew your mind, so spending time in God's word daily to shape your thoughts, guide your actions, draw you closer to him. The second priority was redeem the time, be intentional with your days, focusing on what matters for eternity, serve with humility, reflect Christ's love by putting others first in your home, in your church, in your community.

Number four was walk in gratitude and contentment to trust his provision in every season and thank him for his presence, even in the hard moments, and then keep an eternal perspective. Fix your eyes upon Jesus, right? Knowing that the trials and joys of today are part of his greater plan for eternity. And my prayer for you and for me is that we would grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and experience his faithfulness anew each day.

Remember, my friend, that the work God is doing in you doesn't rely on your strength, but on his faithfulness. Trust him. Take small steps of obedience. Rest in his grace. It is always, always enough. I'm so, so grateful for you and your time today because what? Jesus truly is enough always. I love that reminder. The full show notes, they're on the blog along with any other additional articles and podcasts to explore a little deeper if you'd like a little more encouragement in any specific area.

I also have a newer post-it about the blog sharing my favorite reads from 2024 and also my hopeful book list for 2025, and that will be linked in the show notes too. So again, thank you so much, my friend, for being here with me. And I do pray that you have a very blessed week. Music.