Cultivate

 Psalms 65:11 NLT

You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.

A new year is upon us. With a new year comes new hopes and dreams, new desires and wishes, and the expectation of changed behavior. This new year, I have some intentions and new rhythms that I want to implement. My word for the year is ‘cultivate.’ Cultivate initially has an agricultural meaning. The dictionary defines it as preparing and using
(land) for crops or gardening. But cultivate also has a second meaning. It means to try to acquire or develop (a quality, sentiment, or skill). Here are some ways  I want to apply the word ‘cultivate’ to my journey this year.

1.      I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’ Hosea 10:12. Cultivate a stronger relationship with God. I want the soil of my soul to be fertile and tender to receive all that God desires to teach me. I want to draw nearer to Him, to soak up His living water, to be with Him. This year, I am reading the Bible in  a community of believers to strengthen each other in the faith. Iron sharpens iron. I want to be so confident about Christ’s love for me that everything else pales in comparison. I want to persevere in prayer and communion with God. I want to be like the tree planted by the riverbank whose leaves are always green. I desire to have a strong and distinct resemblance to my  Savior.

2.      In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

 Cultivate my creativity. I want to continue to write. I want to get back into painting. I want to make a habit of exercising my creative gift. Sometimes, I need more inspiration. However, if I take a leap anyway, asking God to give me just a smidge of His creativity, I  will be well on my way. We are made in the image of God, and God is a Creator. He created the heavens and the earth. He created us. He created the animals and the beautiful foliage. Operation Redeemed is an avenue in which I can use my creativity. I plan on posting consistently on the blog and on the podcast.

I want to make use of my creativity to glorify my Heavenly Father.

3.      For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 

 Cultivate discipline. Too often have I relied on my emotions and chose not to complete a task simply because I did not feel like it. I want to grow in the art of discipline and delayed gratification. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit.  I could work on mastering self-control. Discipline is a quality that can be applied to all areas of life. Discipline only enhances the quality of life. 

4.      How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! Psalm 133:1

 Cultivate my relationships with my loved ones. I desire to be intentional with my time,spending it well with my family, bonding, laughing, and having deep conversations. I want to invest in my loved ones by showing them that I care about them. As the old adage says, no man is an island. We need each other.

5.      Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Cultivate a healthy lifestyle. I want to take active steps to honor God with my body by eating healthily and exercising. I want to make better choices when it comes to food. Food is essential and delicious, but it should not be consumed excessively.  I want to have a nourishing relationship with food.

 

May God bless these endeavors.

 May this year be filled with abundant blessings for you, your family, your friends, and anyone you might encounter. May you be intentional with your resources, and may God smile on You with favor and anointing. Remember to  walk freely in the grace that God has bestowed upon you.  All the best for this new year!