For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10 English Standard Version

Our life in Christ is meant to be radically different to the prevailing culture around us. 

We are not saved to continue living an ordinary life, but an extraordinary life that dares to obey the call of God, wherever and in whatever manner it comes. The call to be different pushes us out of our comfort zones to pursue what God has created us to be and do in Christ. It is about living out our identity as sons and daughters of God and reaching out to others whom God calls as His children.

Ask God what He wants for you in the New Year.

Make hearing God a vital part of your daily walk, and you will be amazed by how your life can be transformed by His Spirit and Scripture. God will speak to you now—just as He did with those Bible characters then. Learn to recognise God's voice rising within you as God leads you to face life courageously and with determination. His leading will produce favour and open new doors for you. His leading will restore broken relationships and bring back the joy of friendship. His leading will put you in a place of influence and help you succeed when you have previously failed, or doing something you have never done before.

God is doing all this according to His plan and purpose for your life. God wants the beauty of Christ to be seen in you everywhere every day. His Spirit is constantly seeking to glorify Christ in and through you. After all, Jesus is the foundation and essence of our holiness and holy living.

A holy life is practical. It is living authentically and purposefully who we are created to be in Christ and how we are called to act in Christ. There is no legalistic living or loose living in holiness. A pure love for God activates holy living. As sons and daughters of God, we want to be like our Father in all our ways. As we strive to love God as He loves us, we will start to love others from a place of supernatural abundance and inner freedom.