It's A New Year!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation
has come. The old has gone, the new is here! – 2 Corinthians 5:17
It’s a new year! It’s time for a fresh start! How many
of us made resolutions and rang in the new year last night with a determination
to make changes? And how long do we really expect our new goals to last?
Making a fresh start is hard, no matter what day of
the year it is. We have dreams and goals. We want to change our lives for the
better. We want to lose weight or make more money or finally take our dream
vacation. Maybe our goals aren’t so self-focused. We want to go on a mission
trip, give more money to the church, volunteer at the food bank or help with
the outreach program for the homeless.
We have good intentions. We’re going to make positive
changes. And we’re going to move away from the bad choices of the past. Ah,
yes. The past. That thing we can’t change and yet can’t seem to forget either.
That albatross that has wrapped itself around us and refuses to leave us to
peacefully live out the rest of our lives.
Other folks help us with that. A sweet friend once
confessed that she only goes to church when she is at her family’s vacation
home. Why? Because of the looks she gets when she attends a church in her
hometown. When she was young and foolish – and weren’t we all – she made a
mistake that broke up a marriage. She wishes she’d never made that choice but
she can’t go back and undo it. She has forgiven herself. It’s everyone else who
has the problem.
We can’t seem to let others change. We can’t seem to
forget their sins. Why should we? We can’t forget our own sins either. And that
is what keeps us locked in a past we can’t change.
What if we showed ourselves – and others – the grace
and mercy God shows to us? What if we pressed forward into Jesus, forgetting
what is behind, and focusing on the possibilities that lie ahead? What if we
gave ourselves a chance without allowing the past to cloud our vision?
I pray that we all become better people this year. I
pray that we reach forward and let go of all that is holding us back. I long
for the opportunities Christ has given to all of us. We have a chance to live
like we are His. How amazing is that?!
Each journey is different for the individual making
it. I can’t tell you what path you should take and you can’t tell me what path
to take either. But we can support each other. We can pray for one another. We
can forget the past and move toward Jesus. We can do it together, one step at a
time.
So make your goals and resolutions. Fill your heart
with joy. Then take a step forward. Then another. Give yourself grace for the
inevitable setback, getting up again and trying once more. Our days are
measured in His love. Lean into Him. You can do this, not under your own
strength and will, but because Jesus has hold of your hand.
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