NEW YEAR; NEW PURPOSE

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." [Jeremiah 29:11]

Well, here we are starting a new year, and many of us have already made New Years Resolutions! The most common ones are to lose weight, eat healthier, drink more water and exercise more!

Yes, these are my New Years Resolutions yet again this year!

But these goals are vague and have no purpose because they are not SMART goals. How do we know if we have achieved them if we haven't set goals that are:

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time- bound.

Research has shown that people keep New Years Resolutions for only 30 days and then give up!

However, the new year offers us a wonderful opportunity to reset and reflect on 2025, and we can ask ourselves:

• What worked well?

• What didn't go so well?

• What can we learn from the experiences we had in 2025?

• How can we use all we have learnt from 2025 to shape 2026?

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favourite verses because, no matter what challenges we face or what lies ahead, this verse should encourage us in any situation. God does indeed have plans; He is purposeful, He is intentional, and He has specific plans for us. After all, He is sovereign and all-knowing. So if God doesn't approach life randomly then we shouldn't either.

However, God in His plans is mindful of what we hope for, dream and desire. He does not want to dictate every move of our lives because He loves to give us the things we hope for. (Psalm 37:4-6). God's plans for our lives are beautiful but we must be willing to step into them by seeking Him in prayer.

The best way to live a purposeful life in 2026 is to have a God-given vision. A clear mental picture of what God desires for our lives and our futures. It gives us a direction to head in. As we move to action, we ask God in prayer, for direction to see His vision for us. As God responds He provides our mission, our purpose, our resources, and our focus for the year.

This does not mean we don't make plans. Proverbs 16:9 tells us clearly that it is the LORD who directs our steps but it also says that we make our plans. We count on God to direct our steps and we should seek to prayerfully ask God if the plans align with His will.

Once we receive a vision from God for what He wants to do through us in 2026 then we can set SMART goals to help us achieve that vision by living with purpose!

The Apostle Paul's words to the believers in Ephesians 5:15-16 are so critical to a purposeful life:

"Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."

In other words, we need to be mindful on how we live each day by making the most of our time.

To live with purpose we focus on 4 things every day.

1. Remember our vision of what God wants for our lives. It brings us purpose, provides direction, fuels our passion, and helps us to live each day with greater intentionality.

2. Review our goals daily. This help us to monitor our progress; to ensure that we are moving closer towards our vision and not wasting our days.

3. Make a list. Determine what is most important to accomplish that day.

4. Most importantly, begin every day with prayer! Pray over our vision, our goals and the day ahead.

Jesus said to abide with Him. We can't live this kind of purposeful life without the Holy Spirit. If we want to live a life of vision and purpose Jesus will help us to do it but the starting point is prayer.

Having a year filled with God-given vision, purpose and goals will make for a year filled with meaning and a sense of fulfilment.

How amazing is that!

God bless