Transforming Your Path: Three Keys to Your Best Year Yet

Have you ever wondered what it would take for this to be your best year yet? As we enter the back-to-school season, many of us are thinking about what the next year will look like. Whether you have kids returning to school or not, this time of year naturally prompts us to evaluate our direction and make plans. But creating your best year isn't about wishful thinking—it's about intentional transformation.

When Dramatic Change Happens

In the Book of Acts, we find one of the most dramatic life transformations ever recorded. It's so significant that the story appears three times. If the story is told once, it's important... If it's told twice, maybe pay a little more attention. But the third time, we really need to make sure that we know what is being said here and what the significance for each of us might be.

The story begins in Acts 9:1-2: "Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and eager to kill the Lord's followers. So he went to the high priest and requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them both men and women, back to Jerusalem in chains."

Saul was so certain he was right that he was willing to do whatever it took to eradicate Christians. Most of us wouldn't go that far, but we can relate to holding beliefs so tightly that we're unwilling to consider alternatives. If you have any political opinion, you may have a belief like that, that you believe it so strongly that it's right, that it's the correct way to go, that you can't imagine anyone believing anything else other than what it is that you believe.

Pause Intentionally

As Saul approached Damascus, something extraordinary happened. Acts 9:3-4 tells us: "As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'"

Saul didn't choose to pause—he was paused. But when he found himself on the ground, he had a decision to make. He could either try to get back up and continue as if nothing happened, or he could allow himself to ask questions and gain new perspective.

Most of us have lives that are in such constant motion that we're busy, we're productive, we're making progress. But the question that we don't pause long enough to ask ourselves is, are we making progress towards the things that actually matter? Are we doing the things that we actually set out to do? Are we going to get where it is that we wanted to go?

We're often so focused on taking the next step that we don't stop to consider if that step is taking us in the right direction.

Connect Authentically

When Saul was struck blind, he suddenly needed help. This powerful man who was on his way to imprison or kill people he disagreed with found himself vulnerable, needing someone to guide him to Damascus.

Enter Ananias, a follower of Jesus who was understandably hesitant to help Saul. Yet Ananias became exactly what Saul needed in his moment of crisis—support and encouragement when his life was in complete upheaval. The followers of the Way, the ones that he was on his way to persecute, surrounded him, encouraged him, fed him, gave him a place to stay in the midst of his most difficult moment.

This is why one of our core values at the Summit is simply this: People need people. It can be hard, it can be frustrating. The thing that makes everything in life more difficult than it needs to be happens to be people, right? But ultimately, being surrounded by people makes all the difference in the world.

Think about the people who have shaped your life. I'm willing to bet that many of your most significant growth moments have been with people who believe in you... Maybe it was a mentor who believed in you when you weren't sure that you had what it takes to get it done. Or maybe a friend who told you the truth when no one else was willing to say it to you.

Pivot Courageously

After his encounter with Jesus and time with the believers in Damascus, Saul made an astonishing pivot. Acts 9:19-20 says: "Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days, the ones he wanted to kill. And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogue, saying he is indeed the Son of God."

This pivot took tremendous courage. For Saul, it cost him his job, it cost him his family, it cost him his standing, it cost him his career. Yet so often, the cost of not changing far outweighs what it costs to change.

Maybe you know you're in the wrong career and need to start over. Maybe you need to address a toxic relationship but fear being alone. Maybe you're holding onto harmful patterns in your life. In these moments, we need the courage to pivot.

Putting It Into Practice

If you want this to be your best year yet, here are three practical steps to take:

1. Get Honest About Your Direction

Where are you actually going? Not where do you want to go or think you might end up, but where are you actually headed? Map out a plan to get where you want to be.

Remember these three revealing truths:

• Your habits reveal your values.

• Your calendar reveals your priorities.

• Your bank statement reveals your passions.

If you want to know where your life is headed, look at these three things. You may not like it, you may disagree with it, but you will know. It will tell you everything you need to know about the direction you're headed and where your life is going to end up.

2. Find Your Community

You cannot do life alone. Find people who are going the same place and want to accomplish the same things you are.

If you want to get healthy, find someone who's healthy. If you want to get your relationship squared away, you need to find someone who talks positively about their significant other and isn't always tearing them down. If you want to grow spiritually, you need to find other people who are growing spiritually.

Surround yourself with the type of people you want to become, because if you show me your friends, I'll show you your future.

3. Commit to Life Change

No one can make this decision for you. You are the only one who can decide that your life is going to change. You are the only one who can say that I'm going to get to that place that I said I was going to go.

What courageous decisions have you been avoiding? What change do you need to make that you've been putting off? What has God been whispering to you about that you haven't acted on yet?

Remember: Direction, not intention, determines destination. Where you end up is determined by the direction you're heading right now.

Next Steps

If you're looking for a place to start, consider joining a small group where you can discuss the Sunday sermon, make friends, and grow deeper in your faith journey. Or join us for Made for This on October 4th and 5th, a camp-like experience for adults where you can connect with others and grow in your faith.

The best year of your life doesn't happen by accident. It happens when you pause intentionally, connect authentically, and pivot courageously. The time to begin is now, right where you are today.