New Year New You?

Today The Better Mom contributor, Nikki McCullough, encourages us to be intentional in our time with God in the new year.- XO, Ruth

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Everywhere you look right now, you’ll see people proclaiming to be working at their New Year’s resolutions.  Some are drinking green smoothies every morning, while others are hitting the gym consistently getting their bodies into shape. This is what happens, isn’t it? We start our year out with great intentions and the next thing you know, we are right back to where we were a year ago. Life gets busy and we put the things that we once thought important on the back burner while we pull ourselves through the daily grind.

We often do this with our spiritual life too, don’t we? We know it’s important to carve out time for HIM and stay connected through His Word, yet we don’t always stay the course. Forgive me for comparing our spiritual lives to our physical lives, but don’t you think they have such similarities? We want our hearts to be aligned with Him, just like we want our bodies to be in the best shape possible. But we don’t always want to put in the effort to get there. 

What we forget, though, is that He is the air we breathe. He is the Living Water. He is our Bread of Life. Our spiritual life isn’t one that we can put on the back burner, dear sisters.  I’ve been there. The enemy will fool you into thinking everything is going just great. Why would you need to spend that extra time in prayer? There are so many other things to do. The house needs cleaned. Little ones need fed. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. 

But I’m here to tell you, there ARE enough hours in the day. This year let this be your first intention. Talk to Him when you rise. Before your feet even hit the floor, whisper your first prayer of the day to Him. Walk with Him and talk with Him as you’re picking up the toys strewn about the house. And just give Him YOU. Be intentional in your relationship with Him.  And watch how He is intentional with you. He is your Father – your Daddy – and He loves you so!  He just wants to know you more! So today, pray this with me:

Sweet Father, I long to know you more.  And how I know that YOU long to be in relationship with me! Let me not be distracted by this world.  Help me to turn my eyes to you, Jesus.  I want to know you more.  So here’s my heart Lord.  Take it and mold it into what YOU want!  And help me to stay the course not just today, but the whole year through.  In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!

Blessings!

Nikki