What goals have you set for 2022? If you set and define goals, you have a better chance of attaining them. There is something inviting about setting new goals for an upcoming new year. We see it as a clean slate that hasn’t yet been written on.

Some goals have been predefined for us. For instance, students’ goals will include completing the current school year . . . and perhaps with a particular grade point average. Other goals might pertain to gaining employment or applying for admission to some type of education beyond high school. Goals might also have a health issue in mind such as improving one’s diet and/or shedding a few excess pounds.

What about your spiritual goals? Consider where you were spiritually one year ago. Do you recognize progress in your spiritual growth over the past year? What kinds of goals might improve your spiritual growth over the next year?

Tools for improving spiritual growth

Spiritual growth doesn’t happen in isolation. We need to select appropriate tools to help us along the way.

Prayer. Plan to set aside some time each day for personal prayer and fellowship with God. Pray that God will open your eyes and heart to his leading as you put more of the following tools to work. Pray before and after your Bible study time.

Bible. Be sure to have your own copy of the Bible in an easy to read translation. There are many Bibles to choose from. Some teen Bibles on the market have many interesting inserts and features designed to help youth understand and apply the Scriptures to their daily lives. Another type of Bible that is also useful is a journaling Bible that includes extra wide margins lined for writing notes to correspond with what you are reading. Journaling Bibles may also include devotions and/or coloring pages to reinforce the text. I recently reviewed the NIV Radiant Virtues Bible on my His Whisperings blog, and look forward to using it for my personal Bible reading plan for 2022.

Bible study guide or plan. Choose a plan to follow for your Bible study. It can be as brief or as challenging as you want to make it. There are many plans available, some for reading through the Bible in a given period of time. Some plans lead you through given books of the Bible, while other plans will follow a specific topic or theme. One study by Navigators of New Zealand is called The Backpack: Be Prepared for the Journey for teens and young adults.

Give yourself permission to be flexible if you find you have given yourself too stiff of a challenge. You can find creative ways to modify a plan, just don’t stop cold turkey. Spread the daily assignments over two days instead. Suppose your plan was to read a chapter of the New Testament each day yet it seems too hard to keep up. Then read a half a chapter and mark the spot where you left off. Some chapters and Books of the Bible you will find easier to read than others. God understands your heart and your desire to know him better through his Word, and will appreciate your efforts. Make it a point to read something every day.

Devotional materials. There are a variety of places to find devotional materials. I’ve included a few in the link under the header on this blog entitled Resources from the Web. There are books and magazines for teens that include daily devotions. They shouldn’t be hard to find. Devotions are an excellent way to help us apply the Bible to our daily lives. But devotions fall short of helping us to fully know the Bible. The Bible needs to be read in a systematic way for us to gain a solid foundation for our faith.

Mentors and/or accountability partners. Find at least one person to meet with regularly to discuss what you are learning. This person could be a parent, grandparent, youth leader, pastor, or other Christian friend you look up to. By working together, you will keep one another on track and will be more likely to reach the goals you set.