It’s important to remember that God accepts you unconditionally, as is. The mercy and forgiveness of Christ washes over you even though you don’t deserve it. Grace is 100% God’s doing. But having brought you to faith, implanting his Holy Spirit in you, and lighting your mind with the Word, God refuses to settle for your past lifestyle. What needs to change?

The new year typically is a time when we make new commitments, plan new activities like working out more, spending more time with the kids, eating healthier, and spending more time with the elderly ones in the family. All good. But let me suggest to you that the reverse can be as good or better: to make a list of things you intend tostop doing: “Now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self” (Colossians 3:8-10).