2022: New Year, New Me?

January 1st, 2022

I love new beginnings. A fresh season usually begins with a moment where, whether we choose it or not, something that wasn’t meant to carry on ends and something new takes its place: moving to a new city, starting a new relationship, welcoming a little life into the world, launching your first business, etc. They’re occurrences that are noteworthy enough to effect the trajectory of our lives. And while those events happen sporadically to each of us from time to time, I think there’s something inspiring and rather enticing about being given the opportunity, along with all humanity, to accept the invitation to make this the new year, new me.

It’s like the saying goes, “just because you’re sitting in a garage doesn’t make you a car.” Or for the church kids out there, the classic, “just because you’re sitting in church doesn’t make you a Christian.” Similarly, just because December closed out 2021 and January has blessed us with a new calendar year doesn’t mean anything about you is magically going to change simply because it’s now 2022.

That kind of change, the kind of change that requires full immersion of the heart, mind, body, soul and spirit to see true transformation… that we have to choose. And the beautiful thing about an invitation is it’s very nature: we get to decline or accept.

The choice is entirely up to you.

So what’s the invitation, you ask?

Ask yourself a few questions. Be honest. Commit to growth.

So, 2022. Could this be the year of the new you? I saw a post yesterday that said, "this year will only be different if you choose to live it differently.” And I thought that was rather obvious yet incredibly wise. And a little overwhelming. And then I thought it might be easier to do that if we could see what we’re working with. Then it would be obvious where the changes may need to be made.

So, if you’re still with me, here’s a way for you to take inventory in your life. (Thank you, Pastor @jdost at @zealchurchtv for sharing this resource in Nashville this Sunday.) This is the same list the Lord showed to me exactly one year before this message was ever delivered and it has radically changed the way I handle these important components that make up my life. My hope is it will do the same for you. Ask yourself each of these questions, spending as much time as you need, and just be honest with yourself on how you’re doing. Whether you're currently on a faith journey or not, there’s no right answer. But there is always a real answer.

1. Faith

How’s my relationship with Jesus?

2. Family and Friends

How am I doing socially? How do I show up for the people I love?

3. Romance

How’s the heart connection and sexual connection of my marriage? If you’re single, replace ’sexual’ with ‘spiritual’ and replace ‘marriage’ with ‘Jesus.'

4. Career

How am I stewarding my career? What you are doing will indicate what you will do.

5. Digital

How much time am I spending on my devices and what is it accomplishing?

6. Ministry

How am I making a difference in eternity? Making a difference that doesn’t last doesn’t matter.

7. Financial

How am I doing at planning, earning, saving, giving and investing?

8. Culture

What kind of culture do I carry? Culture is not what you do, it’s your attitude and what you put off when you walk into a room.

9. Creative

At what level am I dreaming and planning? Have I stopped believing for what could be?

10. Mental

How is the landscape of my mind? What’s leading the thoughts?

11. Physical

How is my nutrition, exercise and rest?

If you’ve done this kind of exercise before, you may feel really proud of yourself. If this is the first time you’ve ever taken a self-inventory like this, you may be wildly overwhelmed. Either way, you do not have to tackle or fix any of these areas of your life right now. That takes time. Just looking at your inventory can be incredibly helpful. Blunt transparency with myself always reveals to me the condition of my heart. It takes all the question marks out. Honesty clears confusion. And it reveals the foundation on which you’ll build this new season.

The ‘me’ writing this today thanks the ‘me’ that chose to say yes to this very challenge one year ago. January, 2021. I was at church, sitting on the front row, staring at the wall, talking to God.. well, more thinking with those silent tears rolling down my face. I remember my heart hurt so badly. And I didn’t know what to do. When all the sudden, I felt Him ask me to take inventory of my life. I didn’t have a prompt on the screen telling me what to write. It was just me and God. Staring at that black brick wall. And then He asked me to get honest. So for the first time, at 26 years old, I found freedom. It came when I mustered up the courage to be honest. I didn’t have to be honest with anyone else — not yet.

Here’s the part that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. When I was finished taking a mental inventory of everything I considered important in my life, I felt the Spirit of the Lord gently say to me, “Good. Now surrender each of these things to me; These things you hold dearly; These things that make you who you are. Surrender them now and learn how to surrender them over and over again. Every time you acquire something new: a new opportunity, a new dream, a new relationship, a new measure of success.. before you hold it too tightly, you must surrender it to me first. Do you believe I’m good? Do you believe I have only the best in mind for you? Because, with every single thing you surrender to Me, I will either take it from you forever if it was never meant for you to have, I will hold it from you for a season and give it back to you when it’s time, or I’ll look at it, smile and hand it immediately back to you to enjoy now. Do you trust me, Savannah?”

It was hard to do then. It’s still hard sometimes even now. But it’s been the most liberating, surprising, healing journey I’ve ever been on. And that’s only because Jesus is trustworthy of my honesty and perfect at handling my surrendered will.

I hope you’re proud of the ares in which you’ve come so far. I hope you’re humble to see where you have room to grow. I hope you pray and meditate over what you discover. I know the Lord will reveal to you what He wants to do in and through you this season, should you choose to ask, listen, and engage in the process of change. Ultimately, it’s one of the most beautiful processes the human heart can ever go through.

Your list isn’t your finish line — it’s simply the canvas on which you’ll create something new. And remember, you were created with greatness inside of you. Yes, you.

I pray you step into a season of bravery, healing, endurance, inspiration, boldness, kindness, purpose, passion and new freedom this year. May this new year make way for the true new you.

The invitation has been delivered.. how will you RSVP?

All my love,

Savannah

“May I be careful not to fill my journal with my ideas at the expense of God having space to write His.” -JD Ost