Revisiting the New Year's Goals

 Th gyms have become empty which make me wonder how everyone is doing on their New Year goals. We have completed one whole month of the New Year. How are you doing on your goals? Did you set any goals? Did you create habits to reach your goals in the beginning of the month, and did not keep up with them toward the end of the month? Did you even start? Many people see the month of February as the month of love. We focus on loving others and doing kind things for others that we forget to focus on loving ourselves. Jesus even made it clear that we must love ourselves. 

When I grew up in the church, they tried to teach me that loving myself went against the Bible. When I went to Mosaic Church in Hollywood, Erwin McManus revealed to me an important part of the second greatest commandment. The first command is to love God. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30; CSB) We all strive to love God in all these areas. It’s the second command that many people struggle to read. “The second is, Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF.” (Mark 12:31; CSB) You cannot love others until you love yourself. 

Jesus lived in a society where people loved themselves. They understood how to love themselves. They struggled to love others. Today, we struggle with both of them because if we can’t love ourselves, how can we love others? Having goals and creating healthy habits to reach our goals are ways that we can love ourselves, which in turn becomes loving others. 

It may not be the first day of the New Year or even the first day of the second month, but it is a new day. Set goals for yourself and create daily habits that will push you towards your goals. This reveals just one way that you love yourself. When you can work towards your goals, you can help others in your life. When you get too busy helping others and forget about yourself, you become useless to both others and you. I know because I did that in youth ministry and my ministry and I struggled. 

People grow. When you stay stuck and think you can help others, the growth becomes stunted. When you grow, others around you see it, and they want to grow too. Find the time to work on your healthy habits. Take one thing away or spend less time on an unhealthy habit like mindlessly watching television or binge watching or social media or playing games on devices. These can all become my vices. I have discovered that with less time on my unhealthy habits and more time on my healthy habits, I have become better at reaching my goals. 

So, take the time to revisit your goals or make goals. Decide to grow in 2024 and work on creating healthy habits. You can always start fresh and new every day. God created each day for us. Let’s honor him with our time and habits to create a better life so others can see the love He has. When we love ourselves, we can love others, and that connects to God’s love.