In this new year, I’ve been asking God for more of Him and less of me.

More of His wisdom. Less of my conclusions. More of His peace. Less of my worry. More of His joy. Less pursuit of my own happiness. Basically, I’m crying out for more of Him.

Would you like to grow more in 2024? Be wiser, calmer, more joyful? Then here are four ways to gain more in 2024 by gaining more of Him:

    1.  Give the first slot of your day to God and His Word.

You and I make time for whomever and whatever is most important to us. When you start giving the first of what you have, time wise, as well as in other ways, you will experience the “life more abundant” He came to give you (John 10:10)/

By making sure you have a regular plan for meeting with God—just like you might have a regular time for morning coffee or tea, exercise, paying bills, or running errands—He will become more essential to you and you will find you have far more than you did before, spiritually and emotionally. My devotional book, God’s Whispers to a Woman’s Heart, is designed to help you meet with God for a few moments every day through prayer and getting into His Word at the same time. (That book is now at its lowest price ever—only this month in my website store.)

   2. Find a mentor to help you grow spiritually this year.

Just as bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33), healthy friendships centered on a common love for Christ and His Word can help you grow spiritually. Exponentially! Do you need someone to hold you accountable, ask you the hard questions, challenge you to move beyond where you’ve been the past year or so? Consider participating in a weekly small-group Bible study or asking your pastor or women’s ministry leader to recommend to you a mentor who can disciple you and help you grow as a follower of Jesus. If you don’t have a local church, this is the time to find one because it’s nearly impossible to grow spiritually if you are isolated and not connected to people who are growing in their walk with God. You and I can mature spiritually at a faster rate in community because we are able to share our experiences with one another, learn from one another, and hold each other accountable. Find a mentor or a small group study in your local church, or be the catalyst to start one among friends or neighbors or even co-workers during your lunch hour at work. Teaming up with someone helps you grow spiritually at a more accelerated rate.

     3.  Give more and watch God bless.

Everything we have comes from God. Therefore, a re-evaluation of how we can give financially and materially, and better steward all that He’s given us, will ensure we are people who are focusing on giving, not getting. Our society continually reinforces the message: “Get all you can for yourself.” Ask God this year how you can be a follower of Jesus who gives all you can for Him and His kingdom.

   4.  Reflect every morning and evening  on His blessings.

The psalmist said: “My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long—though I know not how to relate them all” (Psalm 71:15 NIV). How many times has God come through for you, protected you, moved mountains for you, and within a few days or weeks you forgot about it? How many times might we miss His divine interventions that prove to us His great track record of always looking out for His own?

Consider writing on a slip of paper every time God shows His goodness, unexpected provision, or specific answer to prayer, and placing that slip of paper into a jar that you and your family can go through at the end of the year. Or, record it in a journal and share it regularly with others. By recording God’s “saving acts all day long” you will not only be more keenly aware of how God is working in and around you, but you will become a person who is able to give thanks in all circumstances and praise Him in the good times as well as the bad. That grows you and allows you to be more of who He desires you to be.

How will you gain more in 2024? I’d love to hear it in the comment section below.

(And for more on growing in your relationship with God this year, see my books, Letting God Meet Your Emotional Needs and God’s Whispers to a Woman’s Heart, both on sale now in my website store.)