What Are You Becoming? God’s Question for the New Year.

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26 (ESV)

Every January, we ask each other the same thing: “So what’re you doing this year?” Goals, schedules, new habits, healthier choices—normal New Year stuff. Nothing wrong with it.

But recently we’ve realized the Bible asks a different question, and honestly it’s the one that matters more: Who are you becoming?

That question isn’t easy because it goes past the goals of the moment and right into the heart. It’s not just about what we’re doing, but about the kind of person we’re slowly turning into.

Whether we notice it or not, we are all being shaped by something—our routines, our entertainment, our stresses, our friends, our fears, our beliefs. Paul talks about this in Romans 12:2 where he basically says, “Don’t just go with the flow of the world, but let God change the way you think.”

The truth is, we don’t accidentally become like Jesus. We can accidentally become like everything else around us.

And that’s where this whole “New Year” thing gets interesting. The world is loud about doing. It asks: Did you get promoted? Did you lose weight? Did you finally get organized? Did you hit your goals?

The Bible asks quieter questions: Are you more loving? Are you more patient? Are you more joyful? Are you becoming more like Jesus?

John 15 is such a good example. Jesus doesn’t tell His disciples, “Go achieve great things in My name.” He says, “Remain in Me.” The growth comes from the connection, not from what we’ve accomplished.

If you ever want a reality check, just look at the “fruit of the Spirit” list in Galatians 5—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That list doesn’t show up on New Year’s resolution apps, but maybe it should.

Imagine asking someone in December, “So…did you become more gentle this year?” Awkward, right? But that’s actually the stuff that lasts.

One of the great deceptions we believe is that spiritual growth has to feel dramatic—like the kind of high we get from a spiritual retreat or a huge emotional moment. But when we read scripture, we find God forming people in boring places more often than exciting ones.

Moses grew in the desert. David learned to trust God in caves. Paul wrote some of his most compelling messages in prison. Jesus spent 30 years in a quiet town before He preached a single sermon. Real change happens on ordinary Tuesdays and Wednesdays, not just on big Sundays.

God doesn’t require perfect people, He seeks our transformation. His invitations are things like, “Walk with Me,” “Follow Me,” “Be holy,” “Be strong and courageous.”

Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 4:19, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Notice the order: follow, then become. He doesn’t hand them a to-do list, He shapes them through relationship.

Here’s the thought that’s been sitting with us this week: Instead of asking, “What do I want to do this year?” Maybe the better question is, “Who do I want to be a year from now?”

Do I want to be more patient? More peaceful? Less anxious? Less cynical? More honest? More rooted in Christ and less tossed around by everything else?

And here’s the best part—becoming like Jesus doesn’t start with trying harder. It starts with staying close. In John 15, Jesus says that apart from Him we can do nothing, which is His kind way of saying, “Stop trying to transform yourself alone.”

God is more committed to who you’re becoming than who you are. Philippians 1:6 promises that “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

If you want something practical (and not overwhelming), here are a few small things that have helped us:

• Start every morning with a simple morning prayer: “Jesus, shape my heart today.”
• Reading a few verses of scripture first thing before checking your phone.
• Choosing one small act of obedience each day—apologizing quickly, forgiving easily, telling the truth, being generous, letting something go.

Nothing fancy. Just small choices. Because who we are in December is usually shaped by tiny decisions we made in February, March, and April—not by whatever inspiration we had on January 1st.

So of course, set goals. Make plans. Dream big. But while you’re doing that, don’t forget to ask the quieter question: Who am I becoming?

Because at the end of the year, nobody really cares how color-coded your calendar was.

But they will notice if you became more joyful, more gentle, more grounded, more kind.

And honestly? That’s the kind of becoming that actually matters.

May God continuously lead your path.