The Habits That Shape Us
2026 has arrived, and I’m guessing that many of us have already wrestled with that familiar pull that comes with a new year - telling ourselves things like, “This will be the year things finally change - this will be the year I become more X, Y and Z”.
I think there is something genuinely good about this impulse - it reflects a deep human desire to grow and to become more like the people we sense we were meant to be. But at the same time, the start of a new year can load unrealistic expectations upon us that easily weigh us down, causing us to think that change should be quick and dramatic.
The problem in all this is not the desire to grow - wanting to improve our lives is indeed a good, healthy, and godly thing. But the danger comes when we start expecting everything to change suddenly simply because we’ve crossed over into a new year.
The Power of Small, Faithful Steps
Big lifestyle change rarely happens in the big, dramatic moments - more often, it comes through the small, faithful steps taken over time. When I look back on my own walk with Christ, for example, the seasons where I’ve seen the most growth haven’t usually come from the sudden breakthroughs, but from making good choices again and again.
That’s because genuine transformation often comes about quietly - through small, simple, intentional choices repeated day after day. Practices like beginning the morning with prayer and Scripture, still going for a run as rain falls outside, or choosing what to eat with care when a quicker or more tempting option calls - these all make a difference.
These choices might feel quite insignificant at the time, even easy to forget - but over time, they are precisely the habits that will shape us. We often fix our attention on the results we want - and we assume that if we focus hard enough on the outcome, we’ll eventually get there. But lasting results won’t come from a single resolution or burst of intention on New Year’s Eve - they grow out of daily habits, as it is these that set the direction of our lives.
In this regard, Jesus says in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit”. Jesus doesn’t tell us here to strive harder for fruit; He simply invites us into the habit of staying connected to Him. And then, when this practice of abiding in Him is in place, the fruit comes naturally.
The same is true for our daily habits and spiritual disciplines too: when prayer becomes part of our rhythm, our relationship with God deepens; when Bible engagement becomes a regular part of our routine, it begins to reshape how we think, speak, and live. Again, none of this feels that remarkable in the moment, but over weeks and months, these small, faithful, consistent choices compound into real transformation.
Shaping Our Future, One Choice at a Time
This principle of slow accumulation toward positive change extends well beyond our devotional lives, as it touches every other area of life too. For example:
Financial freedom does not arrive overnight; it is built through habits like planning, saving, and making wise decisions that favour restraint over impulse.
Better health is not the result of a single flurry of motivation at the start of the year, but of steady patterns of movement, nourishment, and rest throughout the year.
Stronger relationships are not formed by grand gestures or occasional effort, but by small, repeated actions: listening attentively or expressing appreciation consistently, for example.
The choices we repeat each day - whether in our faith, families, finances, health, work, relationships, or other arenas of life - slowly shape the direction of our lives. That’s because habits are powerful; they shape us, either building us up or breaking us down - and often long before we notice their effects.
So, as plans are made for the new year and resolutions take shape for 2026, the more important question might not be, “What do I want to achieve this year?” but rather, “What habits am I practicing right now that will take me where I want to go?”. Or, even better, “What habits am I practicing right now that will take me where God wants me to be?”.
The Long Walk of Discipleship
Jesus never asked His disciples to become perfect overnight (or even within a given year!) - He simply invited them to walk with Him on the road of discipleship, one step at a time. That same invitation stands before us as this new year begins; instead of aiming for quick transformation, let’s aim for steady obedience - small, repeated choices in the same direction, made with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, who thankfully walks alongside us and strengthens us along the way.
As we do this, we discover that, over time, it is exactly these quiet, regular acts of faithfulness that will lead us toward a place of flourishing. Ultimately, important though they are, we are not formed by the goals we set, but by the habits we live out - the habits that, little by little, shape us into who we are becoming.
Many are hoping that 2026 will be a year of transformation - and I pray it will be so for you too. But that change won’t come simply from resolutions started in January; it will be shaped, more often than not, by countless small, faithful choices made on all the other days of the year. So this year, keep moving forward, nurturing good habits one step at a time, even when progress feels slow or unnoticed. Because slow, steady effort - repeated day after day - can carry us farther than we ever imagined. Just ask the tortoise! 🐢✨