We are two weeks into the New Year. Did you resolve to do something new or better this year? Maybe you selected a word or Bible verse for the new year. January is a time we evaluate the year ahead and ponder new beginnings. Teaching our children about New Year’s Resolutions can be confusing. Their concept of time is much different than ours. Most look to a new year as a time when their next birthday or grade in school will come. Therefore, setting a year-long goal for a child is a vast idea that can be too big for their little minds to grasp. However, resolving to complete goals is a good practice for our kids. That’s why, as a principal, I created a goal-setting worksheet with children (and teachers). It uses the steps to growing the fruit of the Spirit to complete SMART goals. Let’s take a closer look.

God cares about every aspect of our lives. Consequently, setting goals to make money, eat less, or exercise more is not wrong. However, we can sometimes have objectives that are different from what He is doing in our lives. To set biblical goals, we must align with how He works in and through us to produce the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. He wants to grow us spiritually, socially, and academically. All three of these areas of development are essential in the fruit-bearing process. Little Pot is a vessel that grows fruit for the Potter. Using the same steps Little Pot uses to produce strawberries, we can set successful goals that grow love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we follow the following five steps, we can accomplish a goal or resolution. We will be following the fruit-bearing steps in reverse. Educators know this technique as “backward planning.”

Step 1: Identify the goal and the action steps. (Bloom Knowledge)

In the center of the flower, write a new year’s resolution to be more loving, peaceful, patient, kind, etc. (See Galatians 5:22-23). We can confidently know that God can grow His fruit. Therefore, whatever characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit we choose, the sentence should read,

” I know God will grow __(love, joy, patience, self-control, etc.)__ in me by _(date)__.”

The fruit grows in seasons. Therefore, this must be a timed goal and needs an end date. Some may work to accomplish their goals in one week or three days. Others may set goals lasting a month or six weeks. It just depends on the age and specific purpose.

While God grows the fruit, we are responsible for the actions or work it requires. Next, write one to three action steps inside the pedals.

Here are some examples I wrote with children over the years.

“I know God will grow patience in me by (end-date).”

Action Steps:

• I will raise my hand before I speak.
• I will let my friends be first in line. 
• I will patiently wait my turn at the water fountain.

“I know God will grow kindness in me by (end-date).”

Action Steps:

• Share the math tubs with friends.
• Say nice things to my classmates. 
• Keep my hands to myself and not hit.

 “I know God will grow self-control in me by (end-date).”

Action Steps:

• Complete my morning work every day.
• Not get upset if others do not play fair at recess.”
• Not play in the restroom.

The action steps should be relevant to each child’s abilities. If the end date comes and the child still needs to complete an action step correctly, set a new goal to accomplish the specific action step in a shorter time frame. Step 5 will allow you to celebrate all fruit-bearing that takes place.

Step 2. Identify people in your life who can help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions. (Leaf Relationships)

In Little Pot’s fruit-bearing model, the leaves represent relationships. Everyone knows that if you share your goal with someone, you are more likely to achieve it. Therefore, select two or three people to lean on at each action step. In addition, identify precisely how the chosen person can help. Set a time to ask each person if they are willing to help and participate in the goal. God sometimes uses complex relationships as our most profitable opportunities. This step is a great way to work at getting along with others. If two friends need to be kinder to each other, they may each be a leaf on the other one’s diagram. Counselors and student advocates are sometimes great accountability partners, too. Here are a few more examples:

• “Samuel can help by not sitting next to me on the carpet because I like to talk to him.”
•  “My mom can help me by waking me up earlier so I will not be late each day.”
•  Mrs. Jones can help by giving me the single to raise my hand if I begin to talk out of turn.”
•  “Cindy can help me by reminding me to get all my supplies before we begin to work.
•  “Mrs. Jones can help by giving me a quiet corner to work in alone.”
•  Pastor Tim can help by praying for me every day this week.”

Step 3. Commit to it. (Stem integrity)

The stem of Little Pot’s fruit plant represents integrity. Accomplishing goals takes integrity, and honesty is a big part of achieving goals. Some of the action steps may take a lot of work to monitor. Therefore, the participant must be honest and trustworthy. Remind them that the stem connects the different pieces of the fruit plant. Likewise, their integrity will connect all the parts of their goal. They must have strong integrity for the duration of the plan.

Step 4. Be humble, and plant scripture to show you why you need to make New Year’s resolutions in the first place. (The soil and the seed)

The soil in Little Pot represents our humility. Therefore, step four is one of the most difficult to complete. It is challenging to admit why the goal is needed. However, it is an integral part of their journey. Likewise, it may be necessary to start with this step—record why improvement is needed and set the goal first.

Once they realize their need for the goal, find a Bible verse related to the situation. Below are some Bible verses that can connect the different characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit. You may even have the child recite it on the end date. 

• Love: John 15:9; 1 Corinthians13; 1 John 4:19
•  Joy: Psalm 71:23; John 16:22-24 
•  Peace: Romans 12:18, 14:9; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Philippians 4:6-7 
•  Patience Proverbs 14:21; 15:18; 28:11; 1 Thes. 5:14; James 5:8-9
•  Kindness: Proverbs 11:16,17; Jeremiah 9:23-24; Luke 6:31; Job 6:14
•  Goodness: Psalm 23:6; Ephesians 5:8-10; Galatians 6:9,10
•  Faithfulness: Proverbs 3:3, Matthew 23:23; Revelation 2:10b
•  Gentleness: Proverbs 15:1; Colossians 3:12, Philippians 4:5,1 Peter 3:15
•  Self-control: Proverbs 25:28, Proverbs 29:11, Titus 2:11-12, 1 Peter 4:7

Step 5. Celebrate when you’ve been successful at your New Year Resolutions. (Bear Fruit)

When the end date arrives, and you’ve met the goal, praise God that He grew fruit through you. Celebrating is an excellent way to practice praising God for the good things that happen in life. I would place a strawberry sticker on the child’s chart, and we’d do a little dance in my office. Achieving a goal is no tiny feet. Consequently, the more we celebrate, the more eager we will be to set the next goal!

This goal diagram will give your kids a tangible way to see the fruit-bearing process at work in areas they need improvement. Here is a link to purchase it. ⤵️

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By Dawn Stephens