Almost from the moment I met Cathy Horning, I knew two things about her: She loves the Word of God, and she is a powerful encourager. In this New Year's UPGRADE, she encourages 
us to dig into the Word and grow our faith.
“Happy 2018! It’s a New Year, and my very favorite holiday,” Cathy says. “A time to remember. To reflect. To look ahead. To refocus. To prioritize. To set goals.”
That sounds like a big order, but I (Dawn) think Cathy knows how to fill that order!
Cathy continues . . .
I was surprised to discover, as the holiday season ramped up this past fall, a yearning in my soul. A quiet ache. A longing to go deeper in my faith.
In the flurry of activities, I realized I was being swept along the river of life by the relentless currents of an extremely full and demanding schedule.
If you have ever been river rafting, you know what I mean.
One of my fondest memories is riding an inner tube on the Salt River in Arizona. On hot, summer days, my friends and I kept cool as we were carried down the river by the strong current. Occasionally, we were even pulled into an eddy along the way, and were forced to paddle our way out to keep from being stuck there or, worse yet, being pulled under.
Floating down a river is great fun! But, it’s not a place you want to stay!
So, as the new year approached, I knew I wanted off my raft of busyness—to paddle away from dangerous eddies, to swim out of my river, and to plant my feet on solid ground.
I needed a plan:
- to stop being swept along by the currents of busyness,
- to avoid the dangers of a spiritual eddy,
- to be intentional, and
- to stop drifting along.
Instead, I wanted to be firmly planted on fertile soil, and to go down deeper in my roots of faith.
The New Year seemed the perfect time. Although, to some, it is simply the next day on a calendar, to me the New Year is very special. It is an opportunity to begin again. To start afresh, with a clean slate.
And in my own story, it has been a time of momentous life changes.
It is the holiday when I surrendered my life to Jesus at a midnight church service, 39 years ago. Then four years later, it became the holiday when I walked down another church aisle and became a new wife.
So, for me, the New Year is a time to celebrate not only a clean slate, but also new life.
For four decades now, my faith and my family have grown! Each year has brought many changes like children, moves, teenagers, college, weddings, travel, grand-babies, aging parents, and so much more.
However, with the changes have come challenges. And the challenges of the past few years have found me in survival mode.
You know, going through the motions. Doing the right things. Getting by.
My faith remained steady, yet my soul was not satisfied.
Thus, the longing to go deeper, instead of simply holding steady or just staying afloat.
This year, that is going to change. I will no longer be swept along or, worse yet, become stagnant and stale. As I prayerfully considered my goals, I chose ways to dig deeper in my faith. In order to achieve this, I came up with three simple goals.
In 2018 I choose to—
1. Spend More Time in God’s Word
- I will spend more dedicated time in God’s Word, reading, studying, listening to, meditating on and memorizing it.
- I will reserve set times for social media, because, honestly, it is one of the strongest currents which robs me of going deeper.
2. Pray Bigger and Bolder Prayers
- I will take each worry and turn it into prayer.
- My prayer requests will be bigger and bolder.
I will not allow myself to get stuck in an eddy of worry. Instead, I will ask, and praise God, for audacious answers which will bring Him glory!
3. Listen To and Follow My Shepherd More Closely
- I will more intentionally seek to listen for the Lord’s direction throughout my day.
- I will follow His lead, even if it is contrary to my own plans and inclinations.
- I will not be swept away in the currents of routine and order or by the imagined urgency and needs of others.
“Now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots go down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7 NLT).
Dear friend, this New Year, let’s be on our guard against being swept along by the currents of life. Or, worse yet, getting stuck or pulled down in an eddy.
What goals can you make and what intentional steps can you take to dig deeper in your own walk of faith?
Cathy Horning loves the Word of God. Nothing brings her greater joy than encouraging women how to walk in His ways. She is a popular speaker, blogger, and writer, as well as a beloved wife, mom, Grammy, mentor, encourager and friend. Her first two books will be released in 2018. Learn more about Cathy here.
Graphic adapted, courtesy of Marboon at Pixabay.