Daniel Seabaugh

Each one of us will be formed into the image of something or someone in 2025. Whether the formation comes from CNN or FOX News, social media algorithms, or addictive substances, none of us will make it through the year unformed.

Formation happens in our lives whether we’re Christians or not or have any sense of a higher power or not, because attention changes us. For instance, if our attention is given to slogans like “live your truth,” “follow your heart,” and “you do you,” we’ll become certain types of persons, likely ones who are self-focused or irritable when we sense others encroaching on our autonomy. If we listen to conspiracy theories or political commentators, we’ll likely become anxious, fearful, angry, and argumentative. If we spend our days staring at screens or devices, our souls will be hardened to the things of God over time. We can’t fixate on things and remain unchanged. Our habits, whether we engage them intentionally or not, form us.

Can you identify things that have changed in your life in recent years—physical, psychological, emotional, and/or spiritual things? Maybe you faithfully attended church for a while but no longer do. Maybe you’ve gained 20 pounds. Maybe you’re more anxious in large crowds than ever before. You’re not the same person you were ten years ago. None of us are. Your story is complex. Both good and bad things have happened to you. And those things have hardened or softened your heart toward God and others.

It often takes looking back on the years to notice changes. Most changes are undecipherable in the moment. But we all are changing on a day-to-day basis.

Life is discipleship. We’re all following various voices in our lives. Most of us do this without realizing it. We’re all transforming, slowly, into the image of something or someone for the sake of something or someone. In the world of Christian discipleship, formation is the process of being formed into the image of Christ for the glory of God and the sake of others.

Here’s the big question, the thing I’ve been aiming at: What if, in the year ahead, we let the Bible form us instead of all the other things that could? What if we tune out the lies around us and listen to the sweet voice of Jesus found in Scripture? What if we stop buying the cultural narrative of self and begin dying to self and seeking a better kingdom—the kingdom of heaven?

I’m a New Year’s resolution guy. I love chances to start fresh, set new goals, or dream bigger dreams. I know goal setting can happen anytime, but for me, a new year brings new opportunities.

While I’m an advocate of spiritual practices like solitude, silence, and Sabbath, practices I hope you engage with regularly, there’s not a better practice for informing and forming the soul than slow, digestive Scripture reading.

Indeed, there are many good things we could give our attention to this coming year. But let’s not neglect the best thing: allowing the Bible to wash over our hearts and minds to transform us into people of Christlike character for the glory of God and the sake of the world.

Rather than merely reading the Bible for information or plowing through a Bible in a year plan, which are fine things to do, what if we let the Bible form us, change us, call us out, and call us into deeper fellowship with God and others? Slow. Digestive. Scripture reading.

Bring on the new year!