The other day, a member at the gym I belong to asked one of the front staff if they were ready for the “Resolution Revolution.”  By this they meant the influx of new gym memberships that come flooding in every January. Apparently, this is a common occurrence among gyms.

It makes sense, doesn’t it? The new year often brings resolutions to revamp our lives. We resolve to address the areas of our lives that have become stagnant or problematic. Some resolve to eat healthier in the new year; others to exercise more. 

But what do we do if our resolution addresses the spiritual side of our life? What if we resolve to be more spiritually healthy in 2026? What then?  It’s not like we can join the local gym and start throwing around spiritual weights.

Or can we? Below are three hacks designed to move you toward spiritual health this coming year.

Exercise

Physically we know that we can’t think our way to a smaller waist, or a bigger bicep. It’s not enough to simply want to be healthy. At some point, if we want to see a change in our life, we need to augment how we live. Simply put, we need to exercise; we walk or run, we lift weights, we change our diet. The same is true in our spiritual life.

Wanting to be spiritually healthy is a good thing, it means that we are responding to the Spirit’s activity within us. The fact that we have a desire to brow spiritually means that we are, already, moving spiritually in the right direction. But desire is not enough. Wanting to grow spiritually is a great place to start, but not a good place to end; eventually we need to adopt changes to our routine and habits. We need to exercise.

Spiritual exercises are things like prayer, meditation, bible reading, silence, or service. These practices connect us to God’s presence and activity and shape the spiritual dynamic of our lives. Spiritual practices are formative in nature. Thus, to grow spiritually, we must increase the spiritual component of our lives through the cultivation of spiritual habits. We can do so either by increasing the frequency of a spiritual habit, or by cultivating a practice that stretches us beyond our comfort. Either way, the more we engage in such activity, the more we will grow spiritually. (If you need a good place to start in learning about Spiritual practices, pick up Richard Foster’s book “Celebration of Discipline”) 

Community.

In addition to the weights and fitness programs, a gym brings a sense of community. People join a gym because they feel encouraged when surrounded by people on the similar journey. In fact, gym-goers know that they get better results when they train with others. Thus, a good gym brings camaraderie, community, and communion.

Why doesn’t the “Resolution Revolution” apply to faith communities? I know of no church community that struggles with an influx of new members starting on January 1. But if we want to grow spiritually, then participating in a faith community is a must. Spirituality is never meant to be a solo operation. Our spiritual health flourishes when we are in the company of others.  In community we recognize that others ask the same questions we do and struggle with the same doubts. In community we are upheld and supported; we also have the opportunity to uphold and support others (which is an exercise!).

Participating in a faith community is perhaps the easiest thing you can do if you are wanting to move into spiritual health in 2026. Find one that fits your style and offers the practices that speak to your needs.

Time

Anyone who strives to become healthier knows that growth occurs over time. Despite fad-diets or the would-be-miracle pills, you can’t short cut the process of getting healthy. Whether it’s a reduction in weight, or the gain of muscle, health is measured out in months and years, not in minutes or seconds.  Similarly, if you want to grow spiritually healthy in the new year, you must give yourself the time for this to occur. One prayer said on January 1^st won’t do it, nor will going to one church service. Spiritual growth is a process.

Let’s be honest, these 3 hacks for spiritual health aren’t that revolutionary or complicated. They are simply how we grow in any new endeavor. When the three points of exercise, community, and time are linked together with our spiritual desire, then we can be sure we are on way to a richer life with God.