In 1931, François Mauriac wrote a single sentence that summarized the central thesis of his literary career—a career so profound he later won the Nobel Prize:
“It is never too late to become a saint.”
Those words are charged with pain and hope. They quietly imply our fear: Perhaps I’m stuck. Perhaps I’ve sinned too much, strayed too far. Perhaps I’ll never change. And yet, they also dare plant hope in the dead soil of disappointment: Could an ordinary person such as me, wayward and lost as I am, one day die a saint?
Last semester, The Crossing explored over a dozen spiritual practices Christians can implement on their journey toward sainthood—which at its core is about experiencing God daily. Now that we’re in the New Year, you may be wondering if there’s anything else you can try.
Here are six decisions every Christian can commit themselves to in the new year to draw near to God and experience transformation. Keith and I discussed all of them in detail on our podcast Not Just Sunday, so be sure to check out those episodes if you want to learn more.
It’s easy to grow comfortable with besetting sins. Sometimes it’s because we lose hope that we can change. Sometimes it’s because we lose hope that God will forgive us. But the truth is that sin never stops hurting our hearts, and God’s heart never stops forgiving.
This year, make the commitment to never get comfortable and never lose hope. Get up when you fall down: confess your sin and trust in God’s forgiveness.
Listen on NJS:
Humans are driven by desire. We run after what we want. We become what we love. That’s why it’s so important to attend to your heart’s desires—they’re the compass guiding your life.
This year, what would it look like to create an intentional plan to deepen your hunger for God through fasting, prayer, and Bible reading?
Listen on NJS:
Jesus said some hard things, but perhaps his hardest words were these, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).
His point was not that we should literally hate our family, but that we must have no allegiances higher than our allegiance to Christ. Put differently, Jesus calls us to surrender everything—even our families!—to him. What would it look like this year to pick one thing and completely surrender it to Jesus? Your finances. Your work. Your family.
Listen on NJS:
It’s tempting to measure our faith by external acts: Am I serving the poor? Am I reading the Bible every day? Am I resisting gossip? These things matter, but they’re not what God cares most about. God cares about the heart. God cares about your character. God wants you to grow the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
This year make a commitment to evaluate your character regularly and see those fruits grow.
Listen on NJS:
The world promises that following your heart will lead to happiness. Treat yourself. Pursue your every desire… But Jesus taught the opposite, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matt. 16:24-25).
The key to self-denial isn’t thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. What would it like this year to pick an area of your life where you’ve been self-focused and self-seeking and actively pursue the opposite for Jesus?
Listen on NJS:
Christianity is not an individualistic religion. It’s a group project. There’s no such thing as a lone ranger Christian. This is why the Bible commands us to gather regularly, first and foremost in worship, but also in smaller groups for friendship, encouragement, accountability, and fun (Hebrews 13:23).
This semester, make a commitment to go deeper into Christian friendship. That might mean joining a small group or scheduling a weekly (or monthly lunch) with a close friend or group of friends for deeper fellowship.
Listen on NJS:
The new year is always a great time to make life changes. Committing to all six of these decisions would be absolutely transformational but focusing on one or two might be more realistic. So ask God for wisdom. Pick a few. Then, by God’s grace, work hard to grow! After all, it’s God working in you, and he knows what he’s doing.