New year. New things. New beginnings. New chances. New opportunities. New goals. New you.
Right?
Isn't that what the new year promises?
So we spend all our thoughts and energy on resolutions and possibilities. We spend our money on new clothes and gym memberships. We pray for change. We hope for something that will make this year better, bigger, and more fulfilling than the last.
But then we fail to meet our goals. The big job doesn't come. The relationship ends. The thing you prayed for doesn't happen. And suddenly, this year starts to look a lot like the last one. Maybe even worse.
When will we learn? A new year is nothing more than another day. And every day is new. Every day offers opportunity for change. A chance to make things right. Yet we put so much of our hope in this year. We miss the point. We miss the truth.
The last few months, I've been following a devotional called She Reads Truth. I am so inspired by the new study which is about to begin, A Fresh Start, and I challenge you to do it with me.
A Fresh Start. Isn't that what we are all looking for in a new year? But we already have it.
In Christ, we are made new.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17
And if we desire it, we are continually made new.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
We have promises.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11
And with God, we cannot fail. God knows I'm a sinner, and with that comes the real possibility I'm going to mess up. A lot. But God is never confined to my screw ups and poor choices. His plan and purpose for my life isn't halted because of my misdirection. He works all things for good (Romans 8:28). Now while our definitions of what is good may differ for the time being, it says ALL things. That doesn't just mean when I am perfectly following Him. It also means when I say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, and act the wrong way. God is fully capable of righting my wrongs because He always see a bigger picture. The good He makes is His good. This may mean pain, suffering, humility, confusion, obedience, uncertainty, and repentance, but we are promised so much more in the end.
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18
Whatever we face here--good or bad--isn't even in the same ballpark as what we will see one day with Jesus Christ. We keep looking for the next big thing in 2014 which will change everything, but the fact is that we serve the ultimate Game-Changer Himself. So I can rest assured knowing that I cannot fail. My resolutions may fail by the end of the month, but God doesn't quit. I can cut my hair, but God doesn't measure my worth by my appearance. I can quit my job, drop out of school, and move to China, and God will be there working it for His glory.
Isn't that the most freeing and liberating news you've ever heard? You cannot fail in 2014.
So I'll leave you with this. It's from the devotion that is beginning. I hope you get as excited about it as I am. And I hope instead of putting your hope in the promise of a new year, you find your promises in Jesus, because He gives us all reason to be excited for what's to come.
