Do you feel trapped in your situation? Maybe you don't like the way your life has been going lately, but can't seem to change it. Perhaps you're struggling with an unhealthy habit that you know you should stop, yet still continue despite your best intentions to change.
No matter how stuck you may have become, you can move forward with God's help. Here's how you can make a fresh start to change your life for the better as we begin a new year.
Your ability to make real and lasting changes to your life is limited, even when you try your hardest. Rather than relying just on your own determined resolve to change and your own positive thinking (which may improve your life temporarily but not lead to permanent change), connect to God in prayer daily and rely on the strength that He will give you to truly change for good. God loves you too much to let you stay stuck; He wants to help you become the best person and experience the best life possible. Invite God to give you a fresh start and cooperate with His work in your life by following where He leads you.
Whatever problem you're trying to change - porn, gambling, overspending, speaking profanity, or something else - has some pain that's causing it. Ask God to reveal the core reason why you're struggling with the sin that is making you stuck in life right now. Tell God that you want to live in a way that pleases Him and is healthy for you. Trust Him to heal your pain as you move closer to Him.
If guilt over wrong decisions you made in the past is keeping you stuck, you can move on with God's help. Confess your sins, mistakes, and failures to God, repent of your sins, and accept the forgiveness that He offers you. Read and reflect on Bible verses about forgiveness. Pray for God to give you peace about your past. Talk about your past and God's forgiveness with some caring Christian friends who will support you as you leave guilt behind.
Remember that there's absolutely nothing you've done in the past that God can redeem. Move forward in the confidence that God has not only forgiven you, but that He also wants to use you to do significant work in His kingdom. Once you're free from guilt, you're free to say "yes" to God when He presents opportunities for you to serve Him.
If you're stuck in discouragement, don't despair because God always offers you real hope. Discouragement can teach you about your unfulfilled expectations, and it can also reveal areas of your life that you need to change with God's help. So pray about the source of your discouragement and shift your focus from yourself to God. Ask God to give you an eternal perspective on your life so you can pay attention to what matters most and let the rest go. Schedule leisure time into your schedule regularly so you don't get burned out, which can lead to discouragement. Make a habit of consistently encouraging the people around you.
Let people who don't yet have relationships with Jesus know about how God has given you a fresh start in life. Talk with people on common ground (wherever you all are regularly together, such as at work, school, or your favorite restaurant). Accept people as God's creations, even when you don't agree with their lifestyles or approve of their choices. Avoid being preachy, pushy, or phony with them.
Simply share the story of what you life was like before Jesus and what it has been like since Jesus changed your life. Then naturally shift the conversation to them, asking about something simple like: "What about you? Have you ever had any interest in God?". As you're faithful in caring for people, you can expect God to do the rest of the work to draw them into relationships with Him. Celebrate how God uses your own fresh start to inspire other people to pursue fresh starts in their own lives.
Stay closely connected to God so you can live with passion each day and depend on God's power to help you live out the right values. Your fresh start can keep propelling your life in the right direction.