Manifesting Your New Year
1/4/2023
Written By: Christina Gregory
As a homeschool family I am constantly reminded just how bizarre the English language is. We have homophones…words that sound the same but aren’t the same. Like flower and flour. Or homographs…words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. Like address “the intended recipient on an envelope” and address like “a formal speech.”
But the Bible seems to have a grammar all its own. There’s a movement that believers and non-believers alike have been following for the last couple of years…manifesting. And the biblical vs worldly definition of these words are vastly different.
One definition the world uses to define manifesting is “the practice of thinking aspirational thoughts with the purpose of making them real.”
On Pinterest there are thousands of “manifestation hacks.” Everything from manifestation journals and wallpapers to daily affirmations and visualization practices. Articles titled “How to Manifest ANYTHING You Want.”
Another user teaches that “acting as if the things you want, want you more” is the key to manifesting. And trust is placed in the “Law of Attraction” with mantras like “I am a magnet for positivity, abundance and blessings,” and “I visualize my dream life and watch as it manifests into reality.”
I do believe our minds are a powerful tool that we are able to have control over. I believe thinking positively is a form of good health. I believe that setting goals and working hard is honorable. And I do believe that sometimes God gives us exactly what we ask for…for better or worse…but that’s a tangent for another time.
But my likely unpopular opinion about the practice of manifesting is, at best, you’re setting yourself up to be disappointed in yourself when your life doesn’t pan out the way you envisioned. And at worst, you’re making yourself God over your own life. The practice of manifestation dethrones God in our lives.
We’re only four days into the new year so I hope, if you’re a resolution-setter, that I’ve caught you in time to set in motion some biblical practices and beliefs to help you reach your goals for 2023.
1. You have to start with prayer. If you didn’t prayerfully consider your resolutions before, take some time to do that now. God doesn’t care about altered New Year resolutions. But if He did, grace would cover it. The best thing about prayer is that sometimes it doesn’t change your circumstances but it almost always changes your heart and your mind. Pray that your priorities would align with His.
2. Fix your mind on “...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.” - Philippians 4:8 Interrupt negative thoughts with the practice of memorizing Scripture as you’re powering through your 2023 goals. Whether it be financial, physical, educational, you’ll be tempted with the ease of giving up. Distract yourself from discomfort with the comfort and peace that comes from the Word.
3. Get to work! Colossians 3:23-24 says “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” God loves a hard worker! Even the laziest person can’t avoid blessings God has in store for them. But your hard work honors God and makes you a good steward of His blessings.
The Christian definition of manifestation is “the act of disclosing what is secret, unseen, or obscure; discovery to the eye or to the understanding; the exhibition of any thing by clear evidence; display; as the manifestation of God's power in creation, or of His benevolence in redemption.”
My prayer over your new year, over your goals and resolutions, over all your days is that His holiness would be manifest in you (Ezkiel 20:41). That His glory would be manifested as well as your belief in Him (John 2:11). I pray that you would eagerly accept the manifestation of the Spirit in your life and that you would encourage the same for those around you (1 Cor 14:12) I pray that you would have eyes to see, a tongue that testifies and a life that proclaims Christ made manifest to you (1 John 1:2).
Happy New Year to you + yours!