Are you excited about a fresh new year? How about a fresh new life?

There is something special about new beginnings. That is probably why New Year’s resolutions are so popular, even though we seldom keep them for long. As you are making your plans, have you considered asking God to help you develop your “fruits of the Spirit”?

In Galatians 5:22-26, Paul explains that when we turn over our lives to Christ, we are made new, have new beginnings, and are all the better for it. Here is what he says.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

Not that this transformation happens overnight. If you are anything like me, you don’t give up old habits easily. God has had to work on me, but he lovingly and patiently did so. I still need to work on patience and self-control.

Part of my New Year’s resolution will be to ask God to help me grow more in Christ-like character, so that I can be a light of his love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control for others.

I hope you will join me in seeking God’s help to grow.

Praying for you.

M.