It’s a pretty exciting time – the beginning of a new year. People always seem to start a brand new year out with such hope and enthusiasm, making resolutions to improve themselves and their lives, focusing on their goals and direction, and anticipating all the good things in store for them in the next 365 days.
I’m not sure why so many wait until January 1 to become optimistic or to be so motivated to change or to pause and evaluate the important things in their lives a little more closely. Maybe it’s coming off of the holiday season, having been surrounded by loved ones, experiencing a season of giving, and, probably most motivating, having a renewed awareness of God’s presence with us that gets a person’s focus to shift a bit inward and long-term…at least for a week or so. 🙂
(Okay, some people actually do really well with following through on their resolutions, so it works for them.)
For me, I’ve never really done resolutions or goals for the New Year, not because I’m not focused or feel I have no need to change, but because I’ve always been more “why wait until January if I know what I need to be doing in October?” 🙂
The way I look at it – every day is a new start, not just every new year.
The Bible tells us that God’s mercies and compassions “are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23), that “now/today is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2), and that “this is the day the Lord has made” (Psalm 118:24), so whether it’s January 1, February 23, August 19, or November 30, I can decide to start fresh and make whatever changes He is leading me to.
I can have hope for my future in the middle of a bad day or a bad year if I’m trusting in God because His thoughts toward us are “of peace and not of evil, to give (us) a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
I don’t have to wait until a certain clock chime on a certain day because all the verses in the Bible, including the ones that people tend to like around this time of year, are true any and every day of the year. (Recently, I’ve seen a lot of 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Good verse all year round.)
So, whether you’ve made a few resolutions or goals and that always works for you, or you’ve already failed at the one you set for this year, or if you’ve not made any for fear of failing at them, you can always start a brand new day and a brand new year TODAY.
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