3 Ways to Care for Your Soul…
On New Year’s Resolutions and goals….
What if instead of feeling the pressure to fix, change, or improve yourself as you start the New Year, 2025 became a year of learning to take better care of your soul?
What if instead of rushing ahead to the next thing to do, you started the year by slowing down to listen to how God is leading you?
What if instead of trying harder to do better, the Holy Spirit flowed more freely out of your life?
If you are interested in this direction, let me suggest 3 simple habits that could help.
1. Spend regular time with Jesus.
One of the most powerful invitations Jesus ever gave was, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Even though we were never meant to carry the burdens of life alone, it is so easy to believe the lie that we have to. If we are going to care for souls, we need to make time to spend with the One who is strong enough to handle our burdens, heal our wounds, and show us the way to life.
Dallas Willard once said wisely, “you must arrange your life to experience deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your life with God.” Soul care doesn’t happen by accident. It’s an intentional choice to live our lives with Jesus, learning to trust and follow Him in the details of our lives.
And that doesn’t happen without spending regular time in His Word and prayer where we get to know Him better for ourselves.
The New Year is a good time to re-focus is on the invitation to spend time with Jesus. Practically, it is helpful to:
Set a time and place. Find a space and time that regularly works for you to be quiet before God. For me, it’s first thing in the morning and the last thing I do before I go to bed.
Pick a plan to read the Bible. There are so many great plans out there, but the important thing is to find one that helps you focus on Jesus. Whether it’s reading a chapter of the day of a Gospel, a one-year Bible reading plan, or two-year Bible reading plan, find something that works for you to renew your mind in God’s Word.
Enjoy the relationship. Remember who you are spending time with and enjoy getting to know Him. Welcome the Holy Spirit, listen to Jesus, engage your mind, heart, and imagination. Meditate on the Scripture. Read it slow. Spend time in silence. Persevere in prayer. Don’t just read the Bible, let the Bible read you. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill your soul with all the fruit and power of His Spirit. Let yourself enjoy loving and being loved by the most amazing Being in the Universe.
2. Discern a growth area.
While there is no magic formula to find a “word” for your year, discerning an area of growth in your character or faith God can be really empowering.
It has been really helpful for me to focus my prayers on a specific growth area for me and my family the last few years and I’d encourage you to try it too.
If you aren’t sure where to start, here are a few passages I go to pretty regularly that help me take inventory of my life and listen to what God is saying to me about how He wants me to grow.
Which of the fruits of the Spirit does God want me to grow in more specifically? Is there anything in my flesh that needs to die so I can really live?
How is God pruning my character and calling? Is there anything I need to start or stop doing to abide in Jesus?
Is Jesus the most important thing in my life? Are there any idols I am clinging to? What is He calling me to leave behind and what is He calling to run after in this next season?
As you discern how God wants you to grow, share it with people you trust in your life that can help you in the journey (small group, family, trusted friend, etc). We just did this as a family today, and it was really powerful to hear the ways God is working in each of our hearts to trust and follow Him more closely.
3. Find people to practice with.
In a culture where it is so easy to us to focus on externals and building our own Kingdoms, it takes practice to follow God’s leading to be part of building His. Whether it is learning to listen to the Holy Spirit, growing in patience, joy, or pursuing a step of faith in our calling, we aren’t always going to get it right.
If we want to grow spiritually, it will take trial and error. Admitting failure. Asking for help. Learning from our mistakes. Facing our false self. Being honest about the moments you wouldn’t post on Instagram.
Things that don’t make us more self-reliant, but more dependent on Jesus, His grace, His power, and His people.
Learning to follow God’s leading isn’t always easy and doesn’t always feel good but does lead to a soul that is at rest—fully know, fully loved, and fully cared for. That’s the kind of community the Gospel brings.
What if 2025 was a year of seeing your struggles as invitations to a deeper relationship with God rather than something to be ashamed of? What if you found a community of people that encouraged and spurred you on take hold of all Jesus has freely given you and not settle for less?
That’s the kind of church He has always wanted us to be. May you rely on Jesus’ grace, healing, and power as you begin this New Year.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5, ESV