Start it right: A New Year's resolution that'll change your family's life

Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2

Last year I declared war.

War on thinking anything other than what God says. I’m exercising my ultimate freedom.

“The ultimate freedom we have as human beings is the power to select what we will allow our minds to dwell upon.” – Dallas Willard

So I’ve posted God’s truth around my house…just inside my bedroom door, above my nightstand, on the mudroom wall, in my hallways, all strategic places where my eye naturally lands.

As I’ve read them over and over, they’ve revolutionized my life. And they can do the same for your family. I’ve included a simple gift at the end to help you get started with…

these words of life and truth that have guaranteed power to transform.

The word of God is alive and powerful. (Hebrews 4:12)

God has breathed life into all Scripture. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Three stories that prove the power

Here’s proof of what can happen.

Encouragement – Recently I was having coffee with a friend. During our conversation, one of the verses I’d posted on my office wall bubbled up in my mind and I shared it with her: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! That is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

Tears started to trickle down her face. Understanding God as a loving Father didn’t come easily for her. When she heard that verse, God whispered to her heart that he was her Father and he loved her. That was exactly what she needed to hear.

Breakthrough – A few months ago, we ran into a big problem at our company. I couldn’t figure out how to pray, much less what do about it.

This was one of the verses posted in my hallway: “Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all” (1 Chron 29:11). So I started praying, not only for that situation, but for others, “Dear God, I don’t even know what to pray except be big. You’re over all. Show yourself to be Most High.”

God followed up with an extraordinary miracle and answered in a way that I could even have imagined.

Relationships – This happened awhile ago but it still sticks out in my mind as one of the best examples of truth in action. When my son was little, he had a friend over to play. At one point they both wanted to play with the same truck and a tug of war started.

Normally my default would have been to pull out my “Now, honey, you need to share” speech. Instead a verse we’d been learning together popped into my mind.

All I did was gently say, “Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12).

Right away my son’s grip on the truck relaxed. He set it down so the other boy could play with it. That interaction had nothing to do with my fine parenting skills. The Holy Spirit brought God’s truth word to mind and used it to act on my little boy’s heart.

God uses his word to bring life to prayers, healing to hearts, and direction in situations where you don’t know up from down.