New year, new you!  It seems like every place we look, someone or something is trying to help us prepare for the new year.  Why is that?  It’s not like 2023 was inherently evil and 2024 is going to provide a new outlook on life.

But a new year does provide an opportunity for reflection.  The season is slowing down. Weather is cooler.  Nights come earlier.  It’s like all of creation is getting tucked in for bed and in the same way there are some benefits for reflecting on the care of our mind, body and soul.  

Our church family provides a resource called Yearly Rhythms, which you can get for free on a Sunday morning at our resource table or you can order your own on Amazon.  There are tons of resources for us to learn how to care for our bodies.  This particular writing will focus on how we care for our soul.  

Last summer our family was returning from our trip to South Padre Island.  It’s the nicest beach in Texas, so we try to go every year.  On our return home we realized we were short on gas and my wife said, “We can get gas at this exit.”  But the gas station was on the other side of the highway and I didn’t want to waste ALL that time going to the other side of the highway, so I said, “We will just wait for the next exit.”

Little did I know, the next exit for gas was 40 miles away!  Unfortunately we noticed this about 10 miles into our journey and my wife said, “We better turn around and go back to that gas station.”  But I have this unusual gift where I find it almost impossible to turn around for anything, so I said to my family, “I bet we can make it!”

Everyone in the car sighed in disbelief.  At this point I could tell my wife was irritated but I thought the worst case is that I will have to walk to the gas station, so I confidently told everyone, “Don’t worry.  Everything will be fine.” 

10 miles later into the trip, half-way there, we saw the Border CheckPoint so we all said to ourselves, “Great, we can get gas from them.”  Unfortunately, the Border Patrol is familiar with these types of questions and they quickly said, “No, we don’t have gas but here’s a list of companies that will bring you gas.” 

At this point the fuel gauge is beyond E.  It’s not on the E.  It’s fully on the other side of the E.  I begin to admit defeat.  I tell my family we will stop driving, leave enough gas for the AC to stay on and I will call a company to bring us gas. 

But to my surprise, when we called the company to bring gas, which is a $50 fee just to transport the gas, the person asked, “What kind of car?”  We told him and he said those little cars can go forever!  We asked in disbelief, “Are you sure?”  The gauge is beyond the E.  He said, “Just keep driving.  You will make it!”

Sure enough, we made it to the gas station.  Of course, I turned to my family and said, “See, what were yall worried about?”  Nobody thought it was funny.  

I share this story because sometimes we can treat our spiritual soul like I treated our gas tank on that day.  Every day, throughout the day, we have opportunities to feed our spiritual soul but many times we say to ourselves, “I will be fine!  Just keep going.”  This is what leads me to a few encouragements:

1. If we have never trust in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we need to start there.  It is our faith in Jesus that gives us a spiritual tank to fill up!
2. Next, Jesus calls us to fill up our spiritual tanks every day, throughout the day.  Jesus calls it being a disciple.  Jesus has this conversation with Peter when Jesus goes to wash their feet.  At first Peter protests, “You could never wash my feet” because Peter thought this would be too humiliating.  But Jesus’ response is, “Peter, you have already been made clean.  You just need to be washed.”  Filling up our spiritual soul is like a good washing!
3. Time in Scripture.  It can be a verse a day.  It can be a passage or a chapter.  It can be a quick reading or a deep study but the key is to ask ourselves these three questions:
   • What does the Scripture teach me about God’s character?
   • What does the Scripture teach me about humanities character?
   • How does Jesus bring us rescue?
4. Prayer.  In the same way, prayers can be long, short, silent, written; it doesn’t matter.  On January 21, 2024 our church family taught through the Lord’s prayer and made these observations to include in our prayers:
   • Adoration
   • Submission
   • Trust
   • Confession
   • Protection.  
5. Gospel.  Our time in God’s Word and prayer should lead us to a place of repentance.  Repentance means to turn from sin and turn to Jesus.  Repentance softens our heart for God.  Repentance reminds us of the glory of God.  Repentance shouldn’t fill us with shame and sorrow but joy and hope.  
6. Rest.  The bible calls it Sabbath but our faith in Jesus gives us an eternal Sabbath, so that our rest can take place in many shapes and sizes besides one day of the week.  But we should still look to incorporate times in our week when we remind ourselves, “God is my provider and protector!”
7. Giving.  Giving financially is a way to remind our soul that we are not the provider and protector.  Our country provides opportunities for comfort and prosperity, so that it is easy to feel like we are the ones providing and protecting, therefore, giving is a tangible act of worship, so as to say, “This dollar is not my savior!”  You can give in a lot of different ways but if you Partner with North Village Church then you can see how to give HERE.
8. Serving.  God’s Word calls us to look not only after our own interests but also the interests of others, therefore, where in your week are you serving someone else that doesn’t benefit your own interests?  I have found that I enter into those moments kicking and screaming.  I tell myself, “I don’t have time, I don’t have energy” and yet every time afterwards I think to myself, “I am so glad I did that!”
9. Sunday Worship.  Are you connected to a church family?  A church family provides a spiritual covering of protection.  I can’t imagine going throughout the day or week all alone.  We all need to be committed to a church family.  
10. Fellowship.  Our culture is increasingly moving toward an isolated culture.  We can pick what we want to eat, what we want to watch, what we want to listen to and curl up in our bed and never have to be around other people.  At first glance, it sounds awesome but over time I have found that we will become bored and depressed when we are just focusing on our interests.  We need the flavor of other people!  

I have found when I am incorporating these spiritual disciplines into my life it leads me to a spiritual tank that is full.  It doesn’t mean I won’t have any problems in life.  I still have all kinds of problems but it does mean I can weather those problems more securely.  My roots in Christ are deeper.  My foundation is more solid.  My support is more deep.  My emotional maturity is more grounded.  My thoughts are more clear.  

It doesn’t mean layers of anxiety, fear, and discouragement never come my way but it means I can spot them sooner and the truth of God’s Word shapes how I respond to them when I see them coming.