How to Reflect on God’s Faithfulness as You Enter a New Year
Spiritual Life
Audio By Carbonatix
By Carrie Lowrance, Crosswalk.com
We should thank God for our blessings every day, but especially in the new year, for what He has done, is doing, and will do in our lives. Blessings don’t have to be huge; they can be as simple as having running hot water, or a stocked fridge, or a full pantry. Here are some ways to reflect on the blessings in our lives, now and throughout the year.
A Grateful Heart: The Power of Gratitude
Gratitude is the acknowledgement of the good in our lives. It recognizes the kindness others have shown us, both in big and small ways. When we give thanks, we honor these acts of kindness and also open ourselves up to more positive mindsets. Having an attitude of gratitude also fosters emotional well-being, enhances relationships, and contributes to better physical health.
Recognizing Everyday Miracles: Small Blessings That Make a Big Impact
Sometimes when we think about miracles and blessings, we assume they have to be these big things that happen in our lives. This is true; blessings can be huge, like a job promotion, adopting a child or pet, a new job, or an unexpected windfall. However, it doesn’t always have to be this way.
Blessings can be small and still have an enormous impact on our lives. Things like having a roof over our heads, food on our table, a job to go to, a running car (no matter how old, bless my 17-year-old car), clean clothes, or a hot shower. These are the small blessings that we take for granted every day.
Miracles come in all shapes and sizes, too. After spending four and a half months in the NICU, the baby survived; a check appeared unexpectedly to pay that unexpected bill, and a stranger offered to pay for your groceries when your debit card was declined for no reason. To small things like a new morning, having good health, acts of kindness from others, a good night’s sleep, etc.
There are blessings and miracles all around us every day.
Seasons of Change: How Seasons Inspire Reflection
Winter is a great season to inspire reflection. We spend more time indoors watching the falling snow; the air is colder, and the days are shorter. Here are some ways that the seasons inspire reflection.
Winter: Days are shorter, nights are longer, and God’s creatures prepare themselves for hibernation. Life slows to a less hectic pace as we pause and engage in self-reflection. This allows us to step back, take a deep breath and evaluate our goals and aspirations for the year.
Spring: The snow is thawing, the temps are getting warmer, and the grass and flowers are lush and growing. This season helps us reflect on the new things that are happening in our lives.
Summer: The temperatures are heating up, and the kids are out of school. Summer brings us moments of reflection in our lives, whether we're lounging by the pool, on vacation, or having conversations on the road.
Autumn: As the leaves on the trees change, so do our lives. The gorgeous, rich colors of fall can evoke nostalgia and an appreciation of the past while reflecting on our experiences and the lessons learned along the way. With the harvest comes delicious fruits and vegetables. People make apple dumplings and pies from apples and pumpkins. This reminds us to be grateful for the abundance in our lives, including physical resources, relationships, experiences, and personal growth. As the trees shed their leaves, we should also reflect on what we can shed from our lives to build something more positive and productive.
Faith Amidst Trials: Finding Blessings in Difficult Times
Life is a journey with trials, twists, and turns along the way. Maintaining faith and finding blessings in difficult times is crucial. It’s human for us to panic and experience a myriad of emotions. However, the Bible says trials help us develop perseverance, character, and hope.
Faith can be a powerful force during difficult times because it brings us a sense of security, knowing that Jesus is always with us and that there is a reason behind every hardship we go through.
Faith can help us navigate hard times in various ways, including;
Shifting Perspective: Faith helps us view trials as detours rather than dead ends.
Community Support: Knowing we have support from our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ is comforting when going through difficult situations.
A Sense of Purpose: Viewing trials as divine intervention and a part of God’s plan, which can help them endure the trial.
Rituals of Comfort: Praying, meditating, reading the Bible, and worshipping are ways to find comfort and a safe way of expressing emotions and thoughts during hard times.
How to Discover Blessings in Times of Uncertainty
Journaling: Keeping a journal can help you express your thoughts and feelings while going through hard times. Write your prayers and keep a log of how God comes through. Even when it feels like nothing is happening or you’re at a dead end, He will come through.
Mindfulness and Gratitude Practices: Instead of focusing on what you don’t have or what’s not happening, focus on what you have and what you are trusting God to do in your life. In his own way, on his own timing.
Serving Others: Sometimes reaching out and helping others can be a comfort and a distraction.
Embrace Change as Growth: Change is hard, and most people are averse to it, but with change comes growth. Situations get better, relationships get better, people get better.
Reflecting on Past Trials: Think about what God has done before when you have been in a trial and trust him to do it again, in His timing.
Stories of Resilience: Research some books and read about people who have gone through things and been resilient in the hardest circumstances. Start with stories from the Bible and then choose some books about other successful individuals who have faced challenging times. You will come away refreshed and inspired.
The Importance of Community: Celebrating God's Gifts Together
Belonging to a community is important, and it’s essential for us to share our gifts and talents within this community. We can do this through music, art, teaching or serving. Here are some creative ways to gather with your faith community and share your talents with each other.
-If you have several authors in your congregation, organize a book fair where they can bring their work to share with other congregants. They can have their own tables, and you can also have an open mic where they can read their work and answer people’s questions.
-Start a community garden at your church for people who have a green thumb.
-Have a talent showcase for the bands and singers in your fellowship.
-Organize an art and crafts show for the artists and crafty people in your church to showcase what they create.
Worshipping God together and thanking Him for the gifts He has given us to share is a great way to focus on the blessings in our lives.
Looking Back: Personal Testimonies of God's Faithfulness
Have a night and get together with friends to talk about trials you’ve been through and how God was faithful in each circumstance. This is a great way to take your mind off what you’re going through, spend time with friends and grow your relationship with them, and focus on the goodness of God and his faithfulness. Keep it casual with drinks and snacks, and enjoy learning about all God has done in your friend’s lives.
Cultivating a Habit of Thankfulness: Daily Practices to Consider
We should cultivate and practice thankfulness all year round. Here are some daily practices we can adopt to keep our hearts and minds in a posture of gratitude for our blessings all throughout the year.
Gratitude Journal: Write three things you’re thankful for each day.
Thank You Notes: Write a thank-you note for even the smallest gestures.
Gratitude Jar: Buy a jar and put it in a prominent area of your home. Whenever you are thankful for something, write it down and put it in the jar. At the end of the year, you will have a jar full of positive memories to look back on.
Incorporate Gratitude into Your Daily Rituals: Thank God for waking you up when you first wake up. Pray before your meals. Reflect on your day before you go to bed and thank God for what went right and ask Him to help you with what didn’t.
Prayer and Reflection: Connecting with God This Year
Take some time this month to connect with God and tell Him what you are thankful for. Get into your Bible and read Psalms, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, Philippians, and Hebrews as these books are about the subject of thankfulness. As you read, take these books to heart and think about how you can apply these teachings in your own life.
Take some time and reflect on the blessings in your own life and thank God for all he has done, is doing, and will do today.
More Resources:
30 Days of Journal Prompts to Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude
5 Journal Prompts for Reflecting on This Past Year
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Daniel de la Hoz
Carrie Lowrance is a freelance writer and author. She has had her work featured on Crosswalk, iBelieve, Huffington Post, and the Penny Hoarder. She is also the author of three children’s books, three clean romance books, one romance novella, three books of poetry, and one non-fiction book. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and baking, reading, and hanging out with her husband, and sweet cat, Cupcake. You can find out more about Carrie and her writing at www.carrielowrance.com.
