Challenge Yourself!

About a week ago, as I reviewed the goals that I had penned down to achieve in 2023, I began to panic. It looked like a lot. I did a lot in 2022 and it stretched me, stretched me really thin; so, I did not expect that the LORD will lead me to do more in 2023. I looked at my 2023 list and my desire, honestly, was to begin to cross off some items (goals). But the more I looked at them, the more I saw value in achieving them; and there, it dropped it my spirit, “God can increase your capacity for more. He gives more grace.” I repeated those words to myself, “Yes, God can increase my capacity for more, such that I can achieve more in the new year than I did in this year and with less effort… …if I just allow God’s Spirit to chart the course a lot more than I allowed Him to in 2022.” Those words got me pumped. James 4:6 says, “But He giveth more grace…”

God never wants us to decline or be stagnant. He desires for us to always make progress. So, when He is calling you to do more, be sure that He will provide every resource – the grace, the time, the money, the people, etc. - required to achieve those goals. He has [and will release] sufficient supply for whatever He requires of you.

Therefore, don’t be afraid to take on more, to challenge yourself to do more, as God leads you. I’m not sure what it is that you have planned out for this year. I’m not sure how God is leading you, but I believe that in this year, you can challenge yourself to:

1. Praise God More: Praising Him simply for who He is. Enough of the constant faithless requests. God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3). If you want to experience God’s presence constantly in your life, you have got to honestly, genuinely, and constantly praise Him more – not just for what He has done or is doing or will do in your life, but mainly for who He is. In 2023, be a person of praise.

2. Pray to God More: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” I used to think that the Apostle Paul did not mean that literally when He wrote to the church in Thessalonica. But He did. Pray every time. When you’re walking, working, cooking, doing chores, driving, even watching a movie or a game, etc. pray. You do not need to pray out or be 100% focused on prayers all the time; but let your spiritual antenna be constantly connected to God all the time. Communicate with God throughout your day – in the busyness and silence of your days.

3. Study God's Word More: The Bible is the most precious physical gift that God gave to us. In 2023, challenge yourself to study the Bible more, read more books that explain the Bible, listen to sermons that increase your appetite for the Word, etc. Just be Word focused. The devil cannot cheat a knowledgeable Christian, especially one who applies the Word.

4. Witness About God More: I believe that “evangelism” is a natural response to salvation. Any believer who is saved, evangelizes – that is, he/she tells people about God. In 2023, be more outspoken about your salvation, tell more and more people about Jesus, lead more and more people to Him. Jesus is coming soon; we can no longer be patient or quiet about spreading the good news.

5. Achieve Goals: A new year resolution without a plan is an empty wish. It will not be “new year, new you” if you do not do something differently from how you did previously. As much as the Holy Spirit is there is help us, God expects us to take responsibility to plan out our goals and run with our plans to achieve them. Plan out how you will praise God more, pray more, study more, witness more, and plan out how you will achieve other secular things in your life. Leave all the excuses you constantly gave for non-achievement in 2022 and make up your mind (with appropriate actions) to achieve your goals in this year.

Happy New Year!

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