When Your New Year Motivation Already Ran Out

D E V O T I O N A L

Yeah, I admit it. That jogger I saw on my drive home from work as my stomach was screaming in hunger made me a bit jealous.

"New Year, New Me." Kept swirling in my head. What happened to that enthusiasm from last month?!

You know the feeling. January 1st you are pumped. Ready to crush goals. Ready to be disciplined. Ready to finally stick with it this time.

Then life happens. Work gets busy. The couch looks more inviting than the gym. And those desserts. Oh, those desserts.

It is hard to stay fit. I get home, eat my dinner, and then the inevitable. I come face to face with desserts. "Get behind me Satan!" I scream inside my head. I say a prayer and break eye contact. Yes, it was difficult, but I won this battle for my physical and even spiritual health.

But here is what I am noticing and starting to learn. Self control is not something you manufacture. It is something God gives you the strength for.

It takes practice. It takes prayer. It takes moment by moment dependence on Him. And honestly? Some days you win that battle. Some days you do not. But every single time you turn to God for help, you are growing.

God absolutely wants us to take care of our physical health. Our bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit. But our spiritual health? That is what needs to be fed the most.

What Scripture Says…

"Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." ~Matthew 4:4

Jesus said this when He was being tempted in the wilderness. Hungry. Exhausted. Facing real physical need. And He pointed to something deeper.

Physical food sustains your body. But the Word of God sustains your soul.

Having Jesus living within us is our true food. Authentic fulfillment. Real food sure does taste good, but satisfying a starving soul with the Bread of Life Himself? Ultimate satisfaction.

You can have all the discipline in the world when it comes to your diet and exercise. But if your soul is starving, you will never feel truly satisfied.

One prayer at a time, we become healthier. Not just physically. Spiritually. And that spiritual health? That is what carries you through when your physical motivation runs out.

So yes, take care of your body. Honor God with how you eat, move, and rest. But do not neglect the part of you that needs feeding most. Your soul craves the presence of God more than your body craves dessert.

Feed it well.

Much Love & Blessings,

Ramzi

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Family

When your family sees you prioritize time with God, they learn what true satisfaction looks like. Let them see you pray before you reach for comfort in food, scrolling, or other quick fixes. Model what it means to feed your soul first.

Relationships

Self control is not just about food. It is about words, reactions, and choices. When you feel yourself about to say something you will regret or react in anger, pause. Pray. Ask God for strength in that moment. Relationships thrive when we let God give us self control.

Mental Health

If you are beating yourself up for losing motivation or failing at resolutions, stop. Your worth is not tied to your discipline. God gives you strength moment by moment, not in one giant burst on January 1st. Be gentle with yourself and keep returning to Him.

Finances

Self control applies here too. When you want to make an impulse purchase or spend money you do not have, pause and pray. Ask God to help you break eye contact with the thing that is tempting you. He gives strength for financial discipline just like He does for physical discipline.

Physical Health

Yes, honor your body. Move it. Feed it well. Rest it. But do not make physical health an idol. Some days your body needs grace more than it needs a workout. Ask God to help you steward your physical health without obsessing over it or neglecting your spiritual health in the process.

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"You can't discipline your way into soul satisfaction. Only Jesus fills that hunger."

P.S. If your New Year motivation already fizzled out, you are not failing. Motivation comes and goes. But God's strength is available every single moment you ask for it. So stop trying to muster up willpower on your own and start asking Him for help. One prayer, one moment, one battle at a time.

Lord,

I confess that I try to do this on my own. I try to be disciplined, strong, and consistent in my own power. And I keep failing.

Teach me to depend on You for strength, not just in physical discipline but in every area of my life. Help me feed my soul more than I feed my cravings. Remind me that true satisfaction is found in You, not in perfect discipline or willpower.

Give me self control when I need it, one moment at a time.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Since we just stepped into a new month, I created a February desktop calendar for you. Let this verse greet you every time you open your computer: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." ~Psalm 118:24