Why You Need To Stop To Start 2024
I love starting a new year.
But I need to stop.
For you enneagram people, I am a three (AKA - The Achiever). Three's are known for their desire to strive towards new goals and accomplishments. A new year for me is not just the turning of the page but a time to create new goals and strategies to accomplish the vision I sense the Lord has given me.
But I need a full stop.
And so do you.
Before you start a new year of goals, accomplishments, and resolutions. I believe you need to stop and reflect:
Reflect on what God has done.
Reflect on the challenging moments.
Reflect on how the Lord has been good to you.
Reflect on the difficult lessons you've learned.
The truth is — that you and I are great at looking forward, but often, we miss stopping to process the things behind us. And when we do, we miss out.
My question for you is — What if the best thing you can do before you start is to stop?
God Wants Us To Reflect
In fact, the scripture is full of commands to reflect on the past. Here are a few:
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. - Psalm 77:11-12:
Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations; ask your father, and he will show you, your elders, and they will tell you. - Deuteronomy 32:7
Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered. - Psalm 105:5
Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’ - Isaiah 46:9-10
When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea, and when they cried to the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. - Joshua 24:6-7
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. -Lamentations 3:21-23
Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand, the Lord brought you out from this place.” - Exodus 13:3:
After reading these verses, it is evident that God wants his people to reflect and recall the things he has done. Because get this…
The faithfulness of God in the past is your fuel for the future.
So, do you have fuel for the new year? Or are you starting with nothing but your plans, your vision, your goal, and your strategies?
The fuel, insight, and drive you need to start 2024 might be found only when you stop to process 2023.
Why Reflection Is Essential For Growth
I believe that reflection through intentional processing and journaling is essential for sustained spiritual growth. Harvard Business Review defines reflection as:
"Reflection is the intentional attempt to synthesize, abstract and articulate key lessons taught by experience."
Therefore, if we want to use the lessons we've learned in our everyday lives, we need to distill the information into key takeaways. Because the truth of the matter is, if you want to get better in the future, you must spend time reflecting on the things you do in the present.
For example, Harvard Business Review found that daily applied reflection on your experiences was the number one indicator of someone who is improving in their field. Here are some of their reasons why:
Reflecting on what we've done teaches us to do it more effectively the next time around.
Reflecting on learning makes the experience more productive.
Reflection builds one's confidence in the ability to achieve a goal (i.e., self-efficacy), which in turn translates into higher rates of learning.
Reflection, meditation, and prayerful processing with the Holy Spirit are essential practices for those who want to grow in godliness. So, before you set your vision for the upcoming year, take time to reflect on the previous year.
Reflection Questions To Help You Get Started:
Each year, I complete a spiritual exercise called the “The Year-End Reset.” One of the first practices I do is intentional journaling through a set of reflections. So, to help you get started, here's my list of questions that I hope you genuinely take some time to reflect on as well:
In what ways do you see the Lord working in your life?
What were some risks you took?
What brought you deep joy in Christ?
What weighed on you and caused you the most stress or anxiety?
When was your lowest point?
Who is someone that may have hurt you or sinned against you this year?
How are you healing from that hurt?
When were some moments you felt like your most authentic self?
In what ways do you feel like a fraud?
What deeply held beliefs do you sense are changing because of this year?
Who has been your biggest fan & encourager?
What has been your biggest temptation to sin?
In what ways do you feel closer to your family?
What were your most significant regrets from this year?
If you could change one thing from this year, what would it be?
What was the challenging moment where (afterward) you experienced the most personal growth?
Which relationships had the most significant positive impact & brought you closer to the Lord?
Which relationships caused you the most unhappiness or stress?
What were three of the most challenging conversations you had? And what did you learn from them?
What is one new thing you learned about yourself this past year?
I hope that you will walk into a new season with fuel for all God is calling you to do. But remember, there will be actual progress in 2024 once you stop to process 2024!
For The Local Church 📍
Landon Reynolds