Before reading this, must read part 1 here.
Read part 2 here.
My Biggest Lesson from 2024
This might be my biggest takeaway from this year—-that we still make some decisions based on what others have said, or are saying. This can be so subtle that it’s hard to identify.
I can’t reveal too much here but we’re making some little but big changes in the New Year! I’m in awe of the freedom and release that come from knowing that being a servant of Christ trumps being a servant of man.
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
#4. How does it affect next year?
What stays the same? What needs to change? Look at your schedule, relationships, finances, health, & faith.
The Bible says, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:”
A time to plant and a time to uproot.
A time to tear down and a time to build.
A time to search and a time to count as lost.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to sew. (paraphrased from Ecclesiastes 3)
Only you’ll be able to figure out what season you’re in.
Maybe it’s more contentment where you’re at.
More peace.
Less doing.
Maybe it’s a time to work smarter not harder.
More efficiency.
Less wasting time.
Maybe it’s a season to re-align your priorities.
More saying no to others.
Less letting others dictate your schedule.
MY WORD FOR 2025
For my own life the word that keeps coming to me is OVERHAUL. I’m continuing to dive into what that means over the next few weeks.
Any type of overhauling can be hard. We’re often stuck in the middle of what God says and what makes sense. After contemplating various scenarios, which is wise and rational, it’s time to take the next step that you do know. A decision may be better than any indecision. I’m always in awe how the next step may not be revealed until you take the first one!
Perhaps these questions have halted you before:
- Wonder if I lose a lot?
- Wonder what people will think?
- Wonder if it doesn’t work?
How about these questions to propel you instead:
- Wonder if I actually feared the Lord?
- Wonder if I didn’t want to disappoint Him?
- Wonder what He’d say if we were face to face right now?
Stop focusing on just the big moments & start looking at the smallest moments of your life also, maybe even more so.
People plan for big career changes but what about daily interaction changes? More peace in the home. Less agitation with your spouse. More grace with your kids.
The fruit of the Spirit is our Christian metric, not necessarily a pile of more tasks and to-dos to be better versions of ourselves. “But the fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)
#5. What do I want to do, see, and experience in 2025?
More fruit.
More depth.
More quality.
More equipping, coaching, & training.
More leaning out.
Less planning too far ahead. *Let me dive into this more.
My Second Major Takeaway from 2024
Look, I’m a trainer, I know plans are necessary. Without them we wander, float, and drift. But I’ve also learned to drop the clipboard and flow. Sometimes we stick to our plans too much and don’t allow the Holy Spirit to steer us. I’m always in awe of what happens when I stop planning too much.
We talked about Joseph in the Christmas story. Poor guy doesn’t have a word from his mouth scribed. *He’s not mentioned in any Christmas Carols either by the way! Poor guy couldn’t come up with any plans even if he wanted to! Four times his plans were uprooted by God to pack up his family and travel to other towns.
Arise and Go! That’s all Joseph knew. Why did he trek hundreds of miles? To help his wife and Jesus avoid being killed! By doing so he helped fulfill prophecy and go down in history as one of the most underrated biblical heroes in the Bible! His obedience in the Spirit, to kill his flesh and listen to the Spirit, helped protect the Rescuer of humanity to grant us the right to be born again of the Spirit.
So, this upcoming year, even though it may sound like a lack of planning; I’ll plan, but not too far ahead and not 100%.
The planning that we should all seek to do, see, and experience, in my humble opinion, is more crucifying of the flesh.
In one of my favorite passages from Luke 9:57-62, Jesus warns of the cost of following Him:
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62)
I don’t just love that last line because of the word “fit.” I love it because it says if you put your hand to the plow, you can’t look back.
The Christian walk is all about self-denial and sacrifice. Jesus was denied and rejected and died for you. Will you deny and reject yourself and die for Him? I don’t see any wiggle room in the Bible around this for holy maturity!
- This may mean no more getting offended.
- No more baby mama drama.
- No more being anxious about tomorrow.
- No more second guessing yourself.
- No more avoiding the tough conversations with ___________.
- No more wasting time on surfacey relationships.
- No more hiding your struggles.
- No more engaging with the enemy.
- No more trying to run away.
- No more trying to do it your own way.
The only way as we follow the Way is to plow ahead with pursuing, sharing, and making disciples of Jesus. All else is vanity, chasing after the wind, and meaningless. (King Solomon, Ecclesiastes)
There’s a time and a place to plan. But I planned so many things this past year that didn’t happen, and so many things happened this past year that were not part of my plan.
And as I look back and review God’s orchestration over all of it, I ponder, treasure, and stay in awe of His Sovereign plan!
Prayer
Thank you Lord for the breaks and the breakthroughs. Thank you that you love me so much that you gave me the eyes to see and ears to hear. Thank you that my name is written in heaven. As I head into a new year, help me stay focused on your daily bread and daily plan!
“Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God. (Prayer of Agur, Proverbs 30:7-9)