Does habit formation cause us to trust in ourselves for sanctification rather than God? Or is it another way of relying on and turning towards the work the Spirit is already doing?

Who are you trusting in for your sanctification—your growth in holiness? As believers, we can fall into the trap of trusting in tools to make us holy, rather than God.

Church isn’t merely one of the steps towards maturity as a Christian—it’s foundation and the scaffolding every believer needs for the rest of their lives.

Do you fear that perhaps you aren't boyfriend material—and that perhaps you need to change? May I suggest that you do, but not in the way you expect.

While beating us up for how awful we believe we are, self-hate also whispers to us that if we tried just a smidge harder, we could find the strength to obey on our own. But we can’t.

Perfectionism paints a pretty, promising picture for us: Our hearts will be at rest and our minds will be at peace. But each day perfectionism brings us no closer to that promise and instead leaves us exhausted, frustrated, anxious, and hopeless. But if you rest in Christ and his model for growth, you’ll find true rest and peace.

Do you resist the rest your body aches for because the floors must be scrubbed today? Do you say yes to yet another project, another event, even though your schedule already has you weary? What if we stopped following the example of our children and instead obeyed God’s call to rest?

As believers, we often give ourselves to things that can’t change us. Too often, we mix up the tender relationship between the law and the gospel. And just like my failed attempt at mastering water intake, when we confuse law and gospel it leads to frustration as well as discouragement.

I have memorials in my home. I have pieces that provoke feelings, memories, and thoughts. For each one that brings grief, I have another that gives me a glimpse at eternity. But even these memorials are temporary. I also need something that doesn’t tarnish. Something everlasting. I need to treasure God’s Word in my heart. Perhaps in physical ways that I can see and tangible ways I can touch.

So many mothers struggle to breastfeed their babies. It’s crushing. For moms who already have hormones making their emotions turbulent, adding the difficulty of breastfeeding makes for heartache. Where is the hope of the gospel even in this battle with my angry baby and my engorged breasts?

Does sanctification ever feel too slow for you? Haven’t I gone to war with enough sins? Haven’t I reached a decent level of holiness? Shouldn’t I be immune to the devil’s temptations now? Sanctification may be slow, but God remains steadfast.

Burdened brothers and sisters, we can’t sanctify ourselves. Along with the apostle Paul, I gently ask you (and myself): having begun by the Spirit, do we believe we’re now being perfected by our own strength (Gal. 3:3). While it is good to pursue holiness, at the end of the day we must know that it is the Spirit—not our plans, works, obedience, or Bible memorization—who sanctifies us.

Maybe you have felt that too, that grasping in the air for faith while your hope is depleted. If your faith is weak and you’re stumbling through a barren land in search of something to strengthen you, there is one who loves you, who supplies your every ounce of faith, even when you feel faithless.

“If only I had [fill in the blank], then I could obey God better”? If only I had more time, friends who were more present, family members who weren’t so trying, a pet that wasn’t so needy, improved health, or the like roll through our minds. We forget that sin permeates all of our lives, not just where we’re lacking.

What we see outlined in Ephesians 4:22-24 is not a one-time instruction manual with promises of immediate success. Instead, it is a place we will return to often, probably with the same struggles, and the order may change. But God is faithful, and he will bring us to completion in his timing and lead us as we put off sin, renew our minds, and put on the new self.

As well as we know the sting of the unfaithfulness of others to us, we also know of our own unfaithfulness. Who can be trusted? If even those who love us most will still be unfaithful due to their sin, and we ourselves cannot be trusted because of our sin, is there anyone who we can look to that will be steadfast?

It takes us by surprise—the cringe-worthy memory of a past sin we wish we could forget. The pain, the regret, the shame, and disgusting feelings all returned as if you had just committed the sin again. What do we do with these memories that make us cringe?

A year of living in on-going house renovations, seeing rooms completed one piece at a time, I have learned not only patience but a lot about sanctification. In many ways this little house is much like my heart, and yours too. 

Christians, we don’t need to wait for a new year in order to grow in our obedience to God. Instead of getting stuck in New Year Resolutions this year, let’s seek to change daily. But first we must recognize why we need to change daily, how to change, and finally how to persevere in daily change.