Begin with Yourself and Your Relationship with Christ

Real flourishing in life begins with real transformation of the self.

How many of us want to be better this year? The whole idea of "new year resolutions" comes from the fact that we, as human beings, have a desire to grow and flourish. In fact, God created us with the capacity to grow and develop. It was His idea and He delights to see His children flourish in life. We each possess untapped potential and capability and there's an inner desire in us to take hold of that, if at all possible. So, the start of a new year naturally brings renewed expectations for ourselves in how we might live and flourish in life for the glory of God.

Some of us may want to be better parents to our kids. Some of us may want to feel healthier and stronger with our bodies. Some of us may want to begin projects that we've always dreamed of. Some of us may want to have a stronger marriage. Some of us may want to flourish in our workplace. Some of us may want to have closer friendships. Some of us may want to steward our finances and resources better. The new year brings renewed excitement for "what can be" in the future. May we end the year as better people than when we started.

But this is vital to remember: flourishing in the areas of family, work, relationships, finances, etc. starts with a flourishing of the self. It is us after all who must show up to these areas of life. If the self is not taken care of, you can imagine what kind of person will show up to work meetings or to family gatherings or to the shopping mall. But if the self is in a healthy place, you can bet that everything else in life will benefit from that. Real flourishing in life begins with real transformation of the self.

This transformation of the self must begin with God. The way Christ lived on earth is our standard for what it looks like for us to live in this world too. Through His words found in Scripture, Christ informs us of what He expects of any follower of His. Christ, through the Holy Spirit, empowers us to change and be transformed to those very standards. And Christ is ultimately glorified by our changed lives and our fruitful work for Him. Therefore, the most important thing we can do to see our lives flourish on earth is to stay as closely connected to Christ as we possibly can. This year, may we aim to have a better prayer life, better understanding of and obedience to Scripture, better times of reflection and contemplation, and better worship to the true and living God. These spiritual practices will aid us in our quest for Christ-like transformation.

When we stay very close to Jesus, our personal lives can't help but be changed for the better and godlier. And with that, everything else we hope for this year will ultimately benefit from this transformed personal life of ours. This year, begin with yourself and your personal relationship with Christ.

I wish you all a wonderful new year with God.

Grace and peace,
Barnabas the Monastic

Barnabas the Monastic

Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.