3 steps for a better 2012

How will you grow in 2012?

Most people want to make 2012 better than 2011, regardless of how well (or bad) the year went. Maybe you achieved great things in 2011 and it was your best year yet. Perhaps, 2011 will be remembered as a year you struggled and had some major setbacks. No matter, we all want to do better and be better in this new year.

In his sermon today, our pastor Justin Buchanan gave a great three step process for growth and change in the coming year. If he had written about this, I would have linked to his post. He hasn't written it down yet, but you can listen to the sermon podcast (as soon as today's is posted). After hearing them, I thought that many people could benefit from the simple truths in these steps.

His application was directly spiritual. That's where I want to concentrate as well, but it could also be applied to other goals for the new year. To achieve significant growth in 2012, he listed three things

1. Honesty - You have to honestly evaluate where you are. If I set a physical goal of wanting to get in shape, I have to recognize how currently out of shape I am. If I want to grow spiritually, I have to recognize and be honest about the areas where I struggle the most.

I should take time to investigate those areas and find the reasons for my stumbles. Have I set up idols in those areas? Am I maximizing my time for serving God? Do I need to avoid certain times or places where I'm prone to fall into temptation? I will never grow and change if I'm not honest about my current situation and my real need for growth.

2. Humility - Maybe I'm honest enough to recognize I need to grow, but am I humble enough to take the steps to make that happen? Humility allows me to honestly assess my life and see those areas that need change. Pride would prevent any growth because it refuses to allow for any need. Without a recognition of need, there can be no realization of growth.

Humility will also reach out to others to learn from their wisdom and experience. I need help to grow. We all need help to grow. That's why God created us to dwell in relationships and communities - marriage, family, churches, etc. We will never reach our fullest potential if we attempt it on our own.

3. Intentionality - You could be both honest and humble about your need for growth and still never attain any real movement and momentum this year. True sustained growth takes intentional planning and action on our part. Very rarely do we stumble forward. More often than not, growth comes from taking and maintaining intentional steps toward an established goal.

If I wanted to eat healthier this year, is that going to happen just by accident? No, it would take a collection of intentional acts of purchasing different types of food and developing new dietary habits. If I want to be healthier spiritually this year, is that going to happen just by accident? No. It's going to take daily, consistent choices of seeking God, reading His Word, spending time in prayer, dying to self, resisting temptation, serving others, obeying God. My consistent lifestyle of Christlike choices will lead toward a goal of Christian growth, but it only happens after I've made intentional changes for growth.

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How will you grow this year as a follower of Christ? What areas do you need to be honest about with yourself? How can you examine your life with humility and admit that you need help from others, specifically the Holy Spirit dwelling in you? What intentional steps can you take to move toward a goal of being more like Jesus at the end of this year?