This is HIS Year
What do you hope for this year? Do you hope for a new job or to lose 10 pounds? Do you want to read 50 books in 2025 or go on a big trip?
The beginning of the year is often a great opportunity to both reflect on the year behind and make goals for the year ahead. We can take a breath and anticipate the upcoming months, dreaming about the year ahead.
But what would it look like to make goals that are inspired by and founded on our faith? What would it look like to remember that our lives are not our own—that we were bought with a price?
As we mature in our faith, the way we approach yearly goals should change too. As we grow in our knowledge and love for the Word, we discover that we are no longer to live for ourselves. We live for Christ! And in light of that, our greatest desire is to know and love Christ more! Jesus becomes more precious to us than gaining more money or reading more books. We want our entire lives to please Him.
This is HIS Year
But practically speaking, what does this look like? Put another way, what do godly goals look like for the year ahead? To help think through these kinds of questions, we created a new workbook called This is HIS Year to help think through goal-setting from a biblical perspective. We included workbook prompts to remind us of our purpose in life and help us sort through our priorities, and even practical advice like when to quit our goals or what to do when our goals go unmet.
Don’t let the opportunity of a new year pass you by. Instead, prayerfully consider how you can make this year HIS year through godly and grace-filled goals. As C.T. Studd said, we only have one life, and it will soon be past. Only what is done for Christ will last.
You can read the full (and beautiful!) poem here:
Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past
by C.T. Studd
Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its days I must fulfill.
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.
Sources:
Reasons for Hope Jesus. “Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past – by C.T. Studd (1860 – 1931).” Reasons for Hope* Jesus, May 1, 2024. https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/only-one-life-twill-soon-be-past-by-c-t-studd-1860-1931/.
Additional Resources for The New Year:
