In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.
Proverbs 16:9 NIV

As we begin a brand new year, many of us will make new commitments to better our lives. We will promise to hit the gym three times a week, read ten books, spend more time with our family, or reduce our debt by making larger payments. And on it goes with resolutions we hope will lead to a stronger, more vibrant life.

And while these goals prove worthwhile, many of us fail to set new promises with the goal of bettering our spiritual life. Perhaps some of us don’t see the value of the various spiritual disciplines such as prayer, reading the Bible, acts of service, sacrificial giving, to name a few. These disciplines may seem unnecessary for our jam-packed schedules.

And yes, it’s true. Spiritual disciplines take time out of our schedules. They require us to intentionally integrate them into our routines. Bottom line: they take hard work, commitment, and perseverance.

So, are spiritual disciplines worth it? Should we engraft them into our list of New Year’s resolutions? Will they make our lives better?

Although these are valid questions, may I suggest we approach these questions from a different perspective? Perhaps we can ask ourselves these questions: Can I survive this new year without God’s help? When difficulty comes, will I have the spiritual wisdom to handle it? Does my life have eternal meaning and purpose? If we answered no to any of these, then yes, we must create new spiritual goals for this new year. The following are five suggestions to help us get started.

Who is God?

If you need a refresher on who God is, consider reading and reflecting upon these passages from the Bible.

• God the Father: Gen 1, Mt 28, Jude 1; Deut 6; Jn 17
• God the Son: Isa 7, 9; Phil 2; Jn 1, 3, 14; Col 2; Heb 4; 2 Cor 5; 1 Cor 15; Eph 2
• God the Spirit: Acts 5; Rom 8, 12; 1 Cor 6; 1 Jn 3; Eph 5

Who is man?

To better understand who man is, consider these verses.

• Man as the image of God: Gen 1; Psa 139; 1 Thess 5
• Man as fallen: Gen 3; Rom 1, 3, 6; 1 Cor 15; Psa 51; Prov 20; 1 Jn 1
• Man as a Christ-follower: Rom 8; Gal 5; 2 Thess 2; Jas 2; 1 Thess 5; 1 Cor 14

How can I be a better spouse?

To relate better with our spouse, consider these Bible passages.

• Conflict management: Mt 5
• Sexual intimacy: Song of Songs
• Role of husband: Eph 5; Gal 5
• Role of wife: Prov 31; Eph 5

What is prayer?

For a refresher on what prayer is and how to do it, consider these verses.

• Prayer as thanksgiving: Psa 8; Mt 6
• Prayer as petition: Psa 5; 1 Thess 5
• Prayer as lament: Psa 22

What is the Bible?

To learn about the importance of Bible study, here are some helpful verses.

• Bible as God’s Word: Jn 1; Psa 119
• Bible as transformative: 2 Tim 3; Rm 12; Jn 17

Because spiritual disciplines take time, let’s keep at it and not give up. When we slip back into our old routines, let’s not get discouraged. Let’s focus on one day at a time and commit to bettering our spiritual life this new year. And when difficulty comes, know He is there with us helping us to become more like His Son.

(This image was created in Adobe Illustrator using just one path.)

For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.
(Proverbs 2:6, 12-15 NIV)

We live in a society full of paths, but little peace. Self-help books line the aisles of our favorite bookstores offering practical steps to happiness. And a visit to the religions section offers a plethora of options promising to conjure up a better life. To make matters more confusing, we have family and friends who share advice, which doesn’t always help. So whether it’s self-help books, religions, or personal advice, we often struggle to navigate the best path to a peaceful life.

Some of us turn to the news for answers. We download our favorite apps and read articles discussing “how to do this” and “why such and such is so.” But sometimes what we read in print doesn’t match reality. News sound bites don’t address the underlying root of our problems.

So we turn to our fallback: Google. The world’s most power search engine will list the right results we need, right? And with so many kilobytes, megabytes, and terabytes ready for download, we should certainly find a fix to our moral dilemmas. While googling, we hope personal peace is just one click away.

Tragically, the Bible says our world will only get worse. We will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Nation will rise against nation. Our earth is rebelling against its Creator. In the end, peace will not come to pass until the Prince of Peace returns.

So don’t believe what “they” say—that all spiritual paths lead to heaven. That each religion serves the same God. That we have different spiritual options to choose from. If all religions are valid and noble, then why is there still moral chaos? Why do we sometimes hurt our neighbors, loved ones, or even ourselves!

May I suggest our lack of peace stems from the fact we have too many religions. There are too many so-called spiritual paths. Too many lying and deceitful religions begging for our time, money, and affirmation. Our problem derives from the religious fragmentation, which our ancestor Adam introduced long ago.

Before his rebellion, Adam had only one spiritual path to walk in the cool of the day with God. This pathway was the way, truth, and life. But after eating the forbidden apple, Adam introduced moral decay into his body, his children, and every creature in the earth.

To make matters worse, Adam’s sin introduced moral decay into us too. We are not immune to moral depravity. Ever lie, cheat, or steal? We all have. It’s part of our sin nature DNA. It’s what we inherited from grandpa Adam. The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, right?

So no, we don’t need more religious paths. We need just One. And all paths don’t lead heavenward. Only One does. His name is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And what our Prince of Peace secured on the cross for those who believe in Him is peace between us and the Father. And when we follow His pathway, we guard against anxiety through rejoicing and thanking Him for what He’s done for us and praying to Him when we encounter problems along the way. Only His way provides true peace, which transcends all understanding.

Do you know Him?