Focus in the New Year

Morgan Farr, who ministers with a group for military women and wives, is an inspirational and Word-driven woman of God. A great deal of her ministry revolves around being intentional. In this New Year's UPGRADE, she encourages us as we look forward to what the Lord might do in our lives in 2023.

"Nearly 80% of New Year Resolutions," Morgan says, "are abandoned by February!"

Oh, I (Dawn) believe that! Like Morgan, I have tweaked the whole concept of resolutions into something more manageable and, I think, God-honoring.

Morgan continues . . .

I learned long ago that goals and resolutions didn’t work for me.

I start strong, but then life happens, and I get frustrated.

Instead, I make a simple focal point for the year. To make that happen, I choose a word and a verse to go with it. I use that word and Bible verse to help me make choices throughout the year and decide where to focus my resources.

This is what that has looked like, practically, in the last seven years:

2016—Focus

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV).

2017—Prepare

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15 ESV).

2018—Tenderness

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person” (Colossians 4:6 ESV).

2019—Forgiveness

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 ESV).

2020—Boundaries

“I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it” (Psalms 101:3 ESV).

2021—Reclaim

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8 ESV).

2022—Emerge

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,  rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7 ESV).

I can look back at my words and see what God was teaching me at that time.

In 2018, I had three kids, three years old and under. My husband is active duty military, so I was often solo parenting and overwhelmed. Tenderness and loving my kids well was a big goal that year.

In 2022, I was working on stepping out in faith in new ministry positions. I can confidently say that I emerged in 2022.

F - O - C - U - S

I challenge you to make a focal point for 2023 by using the acronym FOCUS.

1. Find the Issue

Play detective. Where are you struggling? What are you working towards or moving away from? What are your personal needs in the coming year? What are the needs of your family?

2. Own Your Word

Narrow down the list to what you can focus on. Instead of sticking with a word like “blessed” or “love” go to thesaurus.com and look at some of the incredible words that might help you narrow down your topic a little better. Some words are richer than others.

3. Claim Your Verse

If you already have a verse in mind based off of your word, use it!

If not, I like to use BlueLetterBible.org to search for the word or its synonyms.

4. Use Creativity

Get your verse and your word on the walls in your home. Stick it up on the mirror in your bathroom. Put it on an index card in your car. You can do this as big or as small as you like, but you are 42% more likely to achieve your goal if you write it down.

5. Start the Work

Now that you have your word and your verse it is time to live it out. As you make choices in the year and as you interact with loved ones check back on your word and verse often.

If you type “New Year Goals” into google, you'll get a shocking 5,170,000,000 results.

I have set a great many goals and resolutions over the years. Almost all of them were forgotten by spring.

The goal of a focal point is that:

• It is self-driven.
• It is small and manageable.
• It is created by your personal walk with the Lord.

What will your focal point be this year?

Morgan Farr, an Army wife, is a succulent-cultivating, book nerd and aspiring author. Morgan homeschools her four young children and trains her working dogs while leaning heavily on Jesus. Morgan is the Director of Publishing at Planting Roots, a ministry for military women and wives. You can connect with Morgan on all major social media channels using her handle: morgandfarr.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Simon/USA Reiseblogger at Pixabay.

'Wait-Lifting' for the New Year

Kathy Carlton Willis, God's Grin Gal, always encourages readers to see life through a biblical perspective and not lose their joy in life. In this New Year's UPGRADE, she addresses the topic of patience—when and how to cultivate it.

“We often comment on how good or bad our waiter is at a restaurant, but I’m not earning any good waiter awards these days when it comes to waiting on life stuff,” Kathy says.

Waiting is hard for me (Dawn) too. Patience is definitely a character trait I need to cultivate! Kathy has wise, helpful counsel for all of us.

Kathy continues . . .

Probably the hardest thing for me, and most of you, is the trial of hurry up and wait. Left unchecked, it tests my patience, challenges my contentment, and sours my joy.

If you are in a season not of your own choosing, you might find yourself wishing for something different or more.

Answers or solutions.

In this era of supply chain shortages, there are much more serious shortages going on.

When it comes to waiting, a lack of patience will practically do us in.

Sometimes, we need the delay for God to prepare us for the answer He is customizing for His purpose to come true in our lives.

Our job when we sense silence on the other end of our prayers is simple.

Wait.

And in the wait, we trust.

And in the trust, we grow patience.

And when patience has grown up, it becomes endurance.

Then we’re ready to run the faith marathon designed with us in mind.

Isn’t it curious that the very thing that causes us to feel impatient is an example of God’s patience? We think He’s being quiet, or even absent from our lives because of our situation. The opposite is true—He is forever present with us.

Having God with us is more important than having—well, anything!

When we have that, the weight of the wait is lifted. (The best kind of “wait-lifting.”)

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2–4 NLT)

Patience is only developed during the wait, never in the rush.

What happens when we wait impatiently? Whether we wait with patience or impatience, it takes just as long, but when we’re impatient, we’re miserable.

Let’s trade our impatience for a new coping skill to help reframe our outlook.

How to Develop Your Patience Muscle

Patience is never more needed and never less present than when we are dealing with a time-out or pause. It’s always best to develop patience ahead of time so that muscle memory shows up when you need it.

Here are some tips.

1. Galatians 5 lists patience as a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

That means it’s up to the Holy Spirit to act in patience through us, and it’s up to us to be yielded to the Spirit.

What does it mean to be yielded or surrendered to the Spirit? It involves us being willing to follow His lead instead of the selfish desires that contradict Scripture.

2. Don’t expect your circumstances to change.

Patience is pumped up just like working a muscle during weightlifting—when it is tested.

3. Know that all human beings struggle with impatience, and only a few learn to be patient during difficult times.

It’s easier to get frustrated than to have faith, and our go-to tends to be in crisis mode rather than choosing to be in Christ.

4. Patience needs to be stored up ahead of time for when you need it, and it gets depleted easily.

Being in God’s Word and talking with Him in the good times banks spiritual fruit for you to have available during the bad times.

5. If you find yourself lacking patience, look through God’s eyes of grace toward the situation or person frustrating you.

This will allow you to put up with much more.

6. Sometimes the person you need to have patience toward is yourself.

Reduce your unrealistic expectations. Allow more do-overs. Confess your flaws to God and ask Him to transform your life.

7. When you realize that your purpose in life is so much bigger than this current circumstance, your ability to be more patient will flourish.

Strive to look at the big picture—the kingdom picture.

8. Patience helps you trust God more.

Trusting God helps you build more patience. They go together. When you have something to hang your hope on, you can wait with patience for all the details to be worked out according to God’s purpose.

9. If you are a Christ follower, you are a temple of God, and conduit for the Spirit to flow through you.

Patience moves unhindered through open conduit but is restricted when that conduit is plugged with pride and self.

10. When you choose to be impatient, you willfully refuse God’s equipment to help you cope with your current situation.

Patience is an act of obedience—evidence of a yielded, Spirit-filled life.

11. Practicing patience is not the same thing as stagnating.

It doesn’t mean you are complacent or compromising. It means you are content in the wait but eager with hope for the next God-thing. It’s not passive.

Patience is active—acting on God’s Word to stand your ground until He moves you on.

12. Patience gives you time to grow a more intimate relationship with the Father.

What New Year’s goal will you set to strengthen your patience muscle?

Kathy Carlton Willis is God’s Grin Gal. She writes and speaks with a balance of funny and faith—whimsy and wisdom. Over a thousand of Kathy’s articles have been published and she has several books in her Grin Gal brand. Today’s Upgrade with Dawn is inspired by Kathy’s latest book, Your Life on Hold: Don’t Hate the Wait. Consider joining one of Kathy’s groups for 2023. More information at www.kathycarltonwillis.com.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels.

Finding New Freedom in the New Year

Dawn Wilson chose her word for 2021—Freedom. It's a word that is meaningful to her, but also a word we all can embrace no matter our "word of the year." In this New Year UPGRADE, she invites readers to consider whether they are living in freedom.

I had many thoughts for a "word of the year" as I approached the end of December. Certainly 2020 was a chaotic, disruptive and fear-inducing 12 months with COVID-19 and the Presidential election, but I didn't know whether to focus on an antidote to my feelings and attitudes in 2020, or to leave that behind and concentrate on a word to motivate change in the year ahead.

I considered words like Determination, Courage, Contentment, Joy, Focus, Mission, Passion, and Perseverance.

But the word that returned repeatedly to my thinking was "Freedom."

I found that, for me at least, it was a word that encompassed my struggles in 2020 and hopes in 2021.

• I wanted freedom from what held me back and kept me bound up in 2020.
• I wanted freedom to press forward with fresh dreams and motivation in 2021.

People all over the world crave freedom. In the United States, most people revere our Constitution with the Bill of Rights—the first 10 Amendments—that spell out Americans' rights and liberties.

I am a patriot, and I love America. I grieve when I see our freedoms watered-down or destroyed by those who either don't understand freedom's value, or wickedly desire to undermine it.

Here are two of my favorite quotes about America's freedom:

• "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." ~ Samuel Adams
• "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." ~ Abraham Lincoln

In 2021, I will continue to stand for freedom in America—the kind of freedom envisioned by our founders, not the fake "freedom" pushed by those who wish to destroy our country from within.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL . . .

In my personal life, I need to choose and embrace freedom in many areas.

Pursuing Freedom in 2021

1. Freedom from the TEMPORAL

With more freedom from the temporal I will develop COMMITMENT to eternal values.

It's so easy to get caught up in daily living and forget to live with eternity in mind.

When I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, it was a serious wake-up call. I realized how quickly we can pass from this world to the next. I began making new commitments about my time, treasures and talents.

And that commitment needs to go deeper.

Two helpful questions to ask:

• What fades away? Certainly earthly treasures do (Matthew 6:19-21), but also anything done for our own glory rather than God's (1 Corinthians 10:31). Even the "crowns" we will receive will likely be laid at Jesus' feet—for His glory. God created and chose His people for His glory (Isaiah 43:7; Ephesians 1:4-6), and we are to live in such a way and do good works that God gets glory. (We are so man-centered rather than God-centered. Here's a good article about God's zeal for His own glory.)
• What lasts? It's been said that only two things go from earth into eternity—the Word of God (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:25) and people who will enter into either eternal life or eternal death, and will be judged in one of two judgments. So in light of what lasts, how do my priorities reflect these truths of eternity?

My life is short. I want to be more and more committed to eternity and the glory of God.

2. Freedom from TENSION

More freedom from tension means greater CALMNESS.

Part of my day job is gathering news articles online for various ministries, useful for Christian leaders' understanding, writing or speaking. This daily project seldom unnerves or aggitates me—but give me one hour of watching the news, listening to the hype, and I'm suddenly upset and tense!

Add to that voices telling me I need to fear the future, and anxiety can quickly rise.

I will find more freedom by listening to the Prince of Peace and voices of wisdom in the Word of God that bring calmness to my anxious heart, such as —

• Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ... I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 14:27; 16:33).
• You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you (Isaiah 26:3).
• Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6).
• Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
• And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts... (Colossians 3:15a).

The Lord wants to bring the freedom of sweet calmness into my life, and the more I saturate my life with His peace, the more I will experience that freedom.

3. Freedom from TIMIDITY

With freedom from timidity, I'll cultivate more COURAGE. 

I can't help but think of the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz—afraid of many things though meant to be the brave King of Beasts.

Christians are not meant to cower in fear or shrink back in timidity.

These are days when Christians need more courage. The power of evil increases daily, and we need to stay strong and stand strong.

• Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ... so that you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Ephesians 6:11, 13).
• Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).
• Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith... (1 Corinthians 16:13a).

Freedom from timidity means I will step out to obey the Lord, no matter how uncomfortable I feel.

And it means I will stand up against sin with courage, speaking truth compassionately and sharing the Good News of hope.

4. Freedom from TORMENT

With more freedom from torment, I'll discover greater CERTAINTY.

Satan loves it when we feel tormented. He wants to devour us and accuse us. Tormenting our thoughts about ourselves is one of His strategies. He is a tempter, liar, schemer, and trickster. Part of getting freedom is resisting the devil.

We all have temptations that are associated with our personal torment.

What brings me torment?

Thoughts about guilt over sins I've committed.

Feelings of not being enough.

I so easily forget that I am forgiven (Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 1:9), and that I don't need to be "enough" for God—and indeed, I cannot! I am saved by grace, not anything I've ever done (Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9).

The Word of God answers torment with two powerful words: "in Christ."

My identity in Christ answers a lot Satan might try to throw against me!

As Dr. Charles Stanley wrote, "Our true identity is defined not by our past actions, but by the Savior's."

God's forgiveness and salvation by grace are only two things I have because of being in Christ. I think that I will study who I am in Christ this next year. Here is an article that is a good starting point, and here is another article.

I believe knowing what it means to be in Christ will bring me greater certainty, greater assurance in my walk with God—and stop the torment!

5. Freedom from THINGS

With freedom from the pull of things, I'll develop more CONTENTMENT.

For the last couple of years I dabbled with rational minimalism, hoping to get rid of excess "stuff." I got more serious about it since Thanksgiving of this year. My logic was that I wanted to go through my Christmas decorations and get rid of everything I no longer thought I'd use. I ended up with four boxes to Amvets! And I still have a lot of Christmas stuff!

I am ready to get more serious about the things in my closets, on my shelves, and in my garage.

It's so easy to become enslaved to things. They can control our lives without our realizing it.

Notice what is on your calendar and how you spend your money—it's an indication of your priorities and what you love.

I know I also want to reduce my possessions for another reason. I don't want to leave lots of stuff for my children to have to weed through in the future.

It's not easy. But Jesus' words help me think with purpose:

"Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15).

I'm making a plan to keep reducing my possessions in this new year. I pray it will give me more freedom to act rather than always being tied up with managing more "stuff."

But I expect it will increase my level of contentment too, as the Holy Spirit teaches me to open my hand and release more. I anticipate more gratitude as I think biblically about what I already have.

6. Freedom from THIEVES

Freedom from "thieves" will spur greater CAPACITY.

What are these thieves?

We all have "time robbers" For some, it's mindless TV watching, even binge watching. For others, it's endless social media scrolling.

When these "thieves" are stopped, we'll have greater capcity, including more time, for creativity and productivity.

For example, I complain that I don't have enough time and strength (because of side effects from my daily chemo pill) to work on the book I want to write. Yet I allow an evening time robber plenty of license to destroy writing opportunities.

Somehow, I need to figure out how to wisely use the strength and time I have to get that book written. I need God's help to know what to do and what I can leave undone.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God... (James 1:5).

Also, instead of letting other people think for me or entertain me through various kinds of media, I need to spend more time in quiet meditation with the Lord, and to allow His Word to form my thinking and attitudes. I need to create more opportunity for godly imagination so I can use and explore my spiritual gifts in ways that will please Him.

I need God to expand my capacity to bring Him glory!

Freedom in the New Year can mean different things to different people. I'm excited to discover what freedom could mean in 2021—what it might encourage or change.

When you think about "freedom" in your own life, what thoughts or words come to mind? Maybe one of those words might be the springboard for your word for the year... or maybe you'll choose "freedom" too!

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, at Revive Our Hearts, a blogger at TrueWoman.com, writes wiki-type posts at  Christianity.com, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Daniel Reche / Fotorech at Pixabay.

Busy, Busy

Insightful and practical, Susan K. Stewart challenges women to consider what they're doing in light of God's Word. In this Biblical Thinking UPGRADE, she asks us to consider the busyness in our lives, and if there might be a better approach to goals.

"By the end of 2016, I was tired," Susan says. "I accomplished many of my goals. I had a stack of check-offed to-do list. I had been busy. Why did I feel as those I hadn’t accomplished anything?"

Oh, I (Dawn) know a lot about checked off lists. I've lived by them since I was a child. But Susan makes me think—is there a better way?

Susan continues . . .

I had accomplished a lot that year:

• published an award-winning book,
• spoke at national conferences,
• taught classes online,
• and many other achievements, which say "success".

I met my goals for the year.

That’s was the problem. I had met my goals.

Each year we are bombarded with resolutions, goals, and focus words. We are encouraged to plan out our year for success.

Midway through the year, just as we begin to think we’ve failed, more articles and podcasts land in our email boxes telling us how to pick up the goals we haven’t finished and move forward.

Even Christian material tells us how to make plans and we can accomplish them. It might be a three-step list or a twelve-step program. The point is, “make a plan and work the plan.”

This can seem like a circle of life—no, more like a race track of life with no finish line.

I needed not just a pit stop; I needed off the track.

Here are some of the ways I’ve conquered the busyness.

1. Don’t buy a planner.

If you already have one, put it at the bottom of the bottom drawer.

We can become slaves to the lists and boxes. It can steal our joy in what we do.

I choose to have a plain calendar. Once a box is full, I don’t schedule anything thing else for that day.

2. Nix the goals and resolutions.

Instead, determine your priorities for the year. And it’s fine if you have the same priorities each year.

Some people tell me priorities are the same as goals. I don’t think so.

The month of July, my priority is my granddaughter’s visit. It’s not a goal; she comes every year. Those tasks take second chair to my priority.

3. Limit the number of items on a to-do list.

I have sticky pad to-do lists. It has space for four items. That’s truly manageable, there’s no space to keep adding on.

I don’t take the top sheet off until I’ve completed the tasks on it. I do add items to the next pages, but I don’t see them until I get there.

Long term projects get their own four-item to-do lists, which I pull out only when I’m working on that project.

Without a long to-do list I don’t feel overwhelmed, and I have a sense of accomplishment with each sticky note I pull off.

These are some tangible ideas how to not be bogged down in the endless cycle of resolutions, goals, and failure. They help me keep perspective on my day and my life. I feel more in control.

But this list in not the real answer.

Henry David Thoreau said, "It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?"

I answer this question each time I get bogged down in accomplishments, when I think I should be doing more, when I’m tired of being busy. Yes, it happens even with the above steps.

Jesus was busy about doing good and His Father’s will.

• Yes, He got tired.
• Yes, He needed to draw away from the daily tasks to rest.
• Yes, He needed to spend time with God the Father.

We are told by Jeremiah God has a plan for us, a plan for good.

God's plan doesn’t require to-do lists and goals, and it doesn’t leave us exhausted.

God’s plan also has hope and future. What more do we need? (Jeremiah 29:11)

The reason 2016 was so exhausting and lacked fulfillment is I was working from MY goals and plans. I was busy about busy work, instead of doing good and God’s will.

For those of us who need a final step, it is this:

4. Seek His kingdom first (Matthew. 6:33), and make it your priority.

God will add what you need to your to-do list.

Which of these action steps could help you get off the busy-busy treadmill right now? What can you do to seek the Lord and do more of His will?

Susan K. Stewart teaches, writes, and edits non-fiction. She is known for practical solutions to real-world situations. Susan is senior nonfiction editor with Elk Lake Publishing, blog content manager for Mount Hermon Writers Conference blog, and has published five books. Susan lives in Central Texas with her husband, Bob, three dogs, three cats, nine chickens, and two donkeys. Discover more about Susan's ministry at www.practicalinspirations.com.

What Makes Bite-sized Upgrades Work?

I have written about UPGRADING our lives since 2013, and in that process, the Lord has shown me how to cooperate with Him to upgrade my own life.

In that process I've also learned an important lesson:  

Personal upgrades can be overwhelming.

It's true no matter what we're tackling:

• weight loss,
• toning our bodies,
• creating a more joyful or contented spirit,
• moving forward without fear toward a personal goal or dream,
• learning to be a better parent or grandparent,
• becoming a prayer warrior,
• making decisions that lead toward financial freedom,
• and a host of other upgrade choices!

In a very practical way, personal UPGRADES begin with a choice toward a goal, and then we break down that goal into small (bite-sized) action steps.

Case in point: I wrote on Facebook recently that helping some loved ones pack and move motivated me to clean out my home of my own overflow of "stuff."

I decided:

1. I no longer use or want many things that still are cluttering my shelves, cabinets and garage—why am I keeping them?
2. I want to move forward into new adventures and new ministries, and don't want to be "encumbered" by unnecessary and distracting clutter.
3. I do not want to leave so much "stuff" to my children to dispose of—so this became a "legacy issue" for me.

But considering this UPGRADE goal, I soon became overwhelmed with the thought of the "how" of making that change.

But then that old adage—"How do you eat an elephant?"—came to mind.

We "eat an elephant" one bite at a time!

One bite.

So what was my "one bite" for clearing out the clutter? I decided I could manage one box per week to Amvets or some other charity. That would equal 52 boxes of "clutter" and unused-but-useful items gone from my home in one year!

I am tackling weight loss the same way. Losing all the weight I need to lose is overwhelming, but I can choose bite-sized goals for each day.

I want to write a book this year. It feels daunting. But the Lord is giving me some bite-sized goals, and my "elephant" doesn't seem so huge.

Now this is not a new insight. The "eat an elephant" example has been around for a long time.

But what makes it powerful is when we take action.

Author Pam Farrel recently wrote about the many action steps the Proverbs 31 woman took that changed her life, enabled her to bless others, and earned her well-deserved praise.

Pam even wrote an action planner to encourage wise action steps.

We have to take that one bite... and another... and another.

The key to bite-sized actions making a difference is PERSEVERANCE!

We need to stick to it—or as Pam Farrel says—"Get It Done, Girl!"

• We can't make a resolution and forget it the next week.
• We can't make a decision and then back away.
• We can't set a goal and then suddenly think it doesn't matter.

Perseverance is a steady pursuit of a goal or a repeated action despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

It includes tenacity, determination, resolve, purposefulness, courage, endurance and staying power.

With that in mind, I will persevere in cleaning out my home, losing weight, and writing a book in 2019.

The Bible encourages in this regard. It speaks much about practical perseverance in the Christian life.

One of the scriptures currently motivating my life is to be a "doer" of the Word and not a "hearers"  only (James 1:22-24).

A successful life doesn't grow out of hearing and nodding in agreement or even expressing good intentions.

To be a success, we must take action and persevere.

Even when it's hard.

Even when it takes courage.

The more we persevere in our walk with God, the more God teaches and blesses us, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to continue to persevere! Christians should desire to persevere and cooperate with the Spirit as He works to change our hearts and make us more like Jesus!

Ask yourself this question:

"What is God trying to accomplish in my life, and how can I cooperate with Him in complete surrender and obedience?

Then ask,

"How can I make little decisions every day—bite-sized upgrades—to persevere in that cooperation?"

It is perseverance in the right direction and with effective actions that make our intended upgrades work!

What upgrades do you want to make this year? What bite-sized choice can you make today ... and tomorrow ... and all year long?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for Revive Our Hearts  and a writer at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in Southern California and have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Geralt at Pixabay.