One calendar starts on January 1 with the coming new year.

The second calendar begins in September with the start of a new academic year.

Working with college students and faculty for 37 years has ingrained the rhythm of the academic year in my life. The “new year” discussed among my colleagues starts with the beginning of a semester around August and September. This continued once my children started school, when life revolved around what grade they were beginning. It wasn’t just my kids excited to get the school list and pack their backpack with all their new supplies for the year. Who doesn’t love a list filled with anticipated possibilities? On social media lots of pictures  announce “First Day of 1^st, 5^th, 9^th” holding lots anticipation for the year.

And so, this time of year I take stock of my spiritual life and identify areas I’d like to see growth and change. What parts of my life would I like to erase with my big red eraser and where do I see potential and new opportunities for growth?

It’s essential to remind myself  it is not me who produces the change in my life. My best efforts only bring change for short periods before I find myself back in my old patterns. Only God can bring lasting change, which is both frustrating and freeing. Frustrating because I must surrender and trust in the slow work of God’s Spirit. Freeing because I can surrender to the Only One who is able to change me from His hand of grace.

Spiritual disciplines can be the avenue to open the heart, soul, mind, and body to the work of God’s Spirit and His means of our transformation.

Reflecting on my life and negative patterns isn’t usually the problem for me-I am painfully aware of my sin patterns when I am honest with myself. Knowing which spiritual discipline to practice and allowing God’s Spirit to work in those negative patterns of my life is where my difficulties come.

The following list identifies a few patterns of behavior and the possible corresponding spiritual discipline. (Sacred Rhythms, Appendix C)

Negative patterns I see in myself — Corresponding Spiritual Discipline

Gossip; controlling the tongue — Silence, Examen
Anxiety and worry — Breath Prayer, Lectio Divina
Envy and Competitiveness — Examen; Solitude
Discontent — Attending to Desires, Thankfulness
Self-reliance — Silence, Community, Centering Prayer
Patterns of Distraction — Community, Spiritual Friendship, Examen
Overly Busy — Discernment, Rule of Life, Sabbath
Anger and Bitterness — Silence, Examen, Confession
Feelings of Inadequacy — Examen, Lectio Divina, Thankfulness
Guilt and Shame — Confession, Forgiveness, Gratitude
Lust — Attending to deep desires, Centering Prayer, Breath Prayer
Restlessness and Stress — Solitude, Breath Prayer, Silence, Sabbath
Lethargy and Laziness — Caring for the body, Exercise, Sabbath
Lack of Faith — Centering Prayer, Scripture Meditation, Worship
Isolation — Community, Examen
Selfishness and Self-Centeredness — Worship, Community, Acts of Service
Lack of Direction — Discernment, Consolation/Desolation

Less is better than more when addressing attitudes and behaviors, so identify just one area you might want to ask the Lord’s help and commit to several weeks with one discipline.

Remember spiritual disciplines aren’t pills to swallow and negative reactions go away within a couple hours. Spiritual disciplines are means by which we offer our lives to the slow movement of God and the methods He wants to work in our lives to produce the fruit of His Spirit in us. Beautiful fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

Where are you anticipating growth this year? A spiritual friend or director can listen and ask questions; and a spiritual director can assist with spiritual disciplines if you don’t know where to begin.

I’ve lost count of which grade I’m beginning for the “First Day” pictures, but anticipate what the year holds nonetheless.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash