4 Mindsets to Leave Behind for a Stronger Walk with God

We love starting new things: new routines, new habits, new goals. While starting something new is exciting, especially at the start of a new year, have you ever stopped to think about what you need to quit? Sometimes, the best way to step into the new is to make space by letting go of the old.

The Bible talks about this—casting off the old self, shedding what no longer serves us, and putting on the new (Ephesians 4:22-24). 

"Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy." - Ephesians 4:22-24

It’s not just about adding things to our lives; it’s about subtracting what weighs us down, distracts us, or holds us back from what God wants to do in and through us. What if this year isn’t just about resolutions but resignations? What if quitting is the key to the life God has for you? Sometimes, to fully embrace what’s ahead, you’ve got to leave something behind. Here are four things you have permission to quit this year so you can begin walking in the triumph God has for you.

4 Mindsets to Leave Behind for a Stronger Walk with God

1. Quit Assuming Things Will Go Wrong

Refuse to default to negative expectations for life's outcomes. "The story of your life" isn't that your coffee spilled, you missed your flight, your husband left just like everyone else, or you got a negative doctor's report. The pains and aches we face in life are real, but they are not the whole story. If you are in Christ, the story of your life is that you were rescued, healed, made whole, and are headed to heavenly places with Jesus!

2. Quit Focusing on What You Can't Control

You can't control the hand you have been dealt in this life. You cannot control the family God has seen fit to place you in or the genetic predisposition He has given to you. You cannot control what others will do to you. You cannot control what the government or the stock market will do. But you can choose to control whether you will respond in faith.

3. Quit Letting Hardships Define You

Don't be so quick with the label maker! You don't need to identify yourself by your struggles or the labels others might place on you. If we aren't careful, a victim mentality turns to identity. It's easy to take your identity from life's brutality instead of God's activity. You can wear the banner of your true identity in Christ—loved, victorious, and purposed.

4. Quit Focusing on Other People's Lives

Resist the urge to measure your blessings against what others possess. Embrace gratitude for your journey and trust in God's unique plan for you. Whether you see your lot in life as beautiful or not, you can choose to say, "God, if this is what you gave me. I'm going to use it for your glory."

This new year, examine the areas of your life where you've settled into the role of a victim, where you’ve shrunk back when God has called you to rise up, and step into the year walking in the fullness of who He’s called you to be!

Originally published by Whitefish Living. Used with permission
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Brooke Cagle/Emmanuel Akinte/Michael Dam 

Levi Lusko is the founder and lead pastor of Fresh Life Church, located in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and everywhere online. He is a best-selling author, podcast host, husband, and father of five, and travels the world speaking about Jesus. Levi is the author of several books, children's books, and devotionals, including Through the Eyes of a Lion, I Declare War, The Marriage Devotional, The Last Supper on the Moon, and his latest, Blessed are the Spiraling. He and his wife, Jennie, co-host their podcast, Hey! It's The Luskos. Levi and Jennie have one son, Lennox, and four daughters: Alivia, Daisy, Clover, and Lenya, who is in heaven.
Learn More and Stay Connected: https://levilusko.com/christianity