Here is a wonderful promise from God’s Word for the coming next days from Isaiah 43:18-19 – “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

Most folk’s start the new year with hope for a much better year! They set goals and they have a lot of wishes of how they want their new year to be, but by the end of January, 40% of New Year’s resolutions will go swirling down the drain. By Valentine’s Day, that number climbs to 75%. That is not good news. Maybe it is the result of focusing more on our good intentions rather than focusing on God’s intention for our lives. There is a big difference between good intentions and God’s intentions.

All of us have some good intentions regarding the things that we want to accomplish in 2023. But how would it look to move beyond having good intentions this year, focusing on the things you want to do, to focus instead on God’s intentions for your life? As we listen for the spirit of God to speak to our hearts, I believe we can discover what God desires for our lives in this coming new year. Instead of having just good intentions that are typically “me-centered,” we can move toward a “God-centered” focus.

What new thing do you think God might want to do in your life? Over the next few weeks, I want to pose a few “One-Thing” questions I hope you will carefully consider. As you answer these questions, it is my prayer God will speak to you about the one “God-centered” thing that he wants to be different in your life this coming year. Our tendency is to focus on too many things, but I want to challenge you to focus on the one thing God is calling you to change, to do or to be.

What’s the big deal with one thing? Well, if you focus on 10 things in a year, you may get nothing done. But focus on one thing a year for the next 10 years and I think you will be amazed at what happens. Think about what this could mean in your personal life. Think of what could be different if over the course of 10 years you established new disciplines, set aside old habits, and focused on new spiritual passions? One thing can begin to add up and your life can be totally and completely changed over the course of time. We’ll pick up there next time.

Author S Greene