Three Christian disciplines to build into your New Year
by Melissa Meyers
It’s that time. And, depending on what type of personality you are either giddy with anticipation about making New Year’s resolutions, or you are already over it. Bear with me, if you are in the camp where you never set resolutions for yourself, I have three Christian disciples that I’d encourage you to chose at least one to incorporate into 2025. If you are like me, someone who thrives on setting goals, and crossing them off their lists, then I already have your ear so here it goes.
First, let’s talk about this beautiful faith that God has given us and the wonderful ways through scripture that Jesus has demonstrated to us; how to connect with our heavenly Father. Just like a human relationship grows and thrives when we invest in it, our relationship with Jesus will grow and thrive when we focus on it.
Solitude
Luke 5: 16 – Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray.
An abundance of verses can be found on how Jesus demonstrated this throughout his ministry, all you have to do is a quick search on Jesus and solitude. He demonstrated to us, that to connect and recharge, getting away into a place where we can focus is essential. Throughout his time on earth, we see Jesus climbing a mountain by himself, rowing out into the middle of a lake, and getting up early to get away to connect. If you are in the phase of life, where you feel like you are by yourself all the time, you may not need this, or I’d challenge you to find some favorite places in nature to walk and to connect with God. If you are in the baby/toddler/elementary school phase of life, you absolutely need to figure out how to do this.
I’d also encourage you to unplug. Jesus was social media-free, but he had one of the largest crowd followings of the day so he discovered places that worked for him. Silence, mute, set down the phone. Walk without accessing your phone. Soak in the beautiful sunset and take a mental snapshot of it, instead of a digital one. There are an abundance of places around and in Rochester to do this. Share below in the comments your favorite places. This can also look like sitting on your deck drinking a cup of coffee, without scrolling.
Simplicity
Matthew 6: 19-21-Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
These verses in Matthew come after Jesus has poured out wisdom after wisdom covering topics from the Beatitudes, prayer, giving to the poor, and money. Here are a couple of staggering statistics: One out of four houses with a two-car garage keep so much stuff in their garages, they can’t fit in a car. On average every American household throws away 68 pounds of clothing a year. Americans spend 1.2 trillion on things they don’t need. (Foundation of Economic Education)
These statistics coming shortly behind Christmas are a bit hard to swallow. And, you may ask, what does this have to do with faith? Well, taking care of too much stuff, takes time, and can steal us away from important relationships and the work that God has prepared for us. For example: laundry. If you only keep items you like and wear, in the end, that means less time doing laundry. I’m a proponent of spending more money on a sweater you love, than buying three sweaters on sale. The question to ask as you seek to practice this discipline is: how am I storing up treasures in heaven? Am I investing in serving, in relationships, in times of prayer, or am I just managing my stuff? Or working to pay for my things?
Song
Matthew 26: 30 – When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
There are few verses where Jesus addresses song in the gospels. I think that one of the reasons is that hymns and spiritual worship were deeply ingrained in the Jewish culture. It was part of the service. The New Testament takes at least 93 quotes from the book of Psalms. The Psalms, often accompanied by the harp and a guitar (lyre), were used for corporate and individual worship. The one example we have in the gospels is at the end of the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples sing together, before heading out to the Mount of Olives. I find this particularly meaningful that at the last gathering that Jesus had with his disciples before his death, they worshipped together.
Though Jesus doesn’t say much about singing, the New Testament abounds with the importance of it. We read in Ephesians 5: 19 – Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. This is one discipline it may not take much to get you on board. When we are singing spiritual songs either in a group or individually we are declaring the truths of God to ourselves and to others, which causes a deep connection.
Some ways we can incorporate this into our daily lives. Memorize and learn the songs sung at church and sing them at home, after a quiet time, when you are washing dishes, or in the shower. If you can’t remember the names of the songs, email your worship pastor for a list. Create a playlist of your favorite hymns and worship songs. Sing out your prayers on your way to and from work. Write out a poem or song to God. Come on Sunday ready to participate in corporate worship, knowing you are blessing God with your voice.
Melissa Meyers is co-editor of The Stir, wife to John, and mother to Malcolm (19) and Emily (16). She is a Neonatal Nurse and Creative Writer. She is the author of, Beneath the Ancient Dust: Inspirational Stories from Nine Years in Afghanistan. Her hobbies are coffee, reading, and taking long walks. She will accept an invitation for coffee anytime and loves to hear how God is working in your life.