Start Again

Happy New Year! Every New Year feels like a new beginning. After reflecting on the past year during the Christmas season, the New Year allows you to start over. Almost. We make resolutions and plans for the coming year. Then we revert. We tend to carry over what we were carrying at the end of year. What if we could lay down the burdens we had at the end of the year and start anew? We can. 

Jesus said in Matt 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” How often do we say we’re leaving something with God, but pick it back up and take it with us. We don’t have any different strategy and we haven’t consulted God, but we still feel we can handle it better the God – the Father – who knows everything. 

This year, let’s try something different. To get different results, we have to do something we’ve never done. Because let’s face it, if we knew how to fix our problems and could, we would have already done it. So, let’s take a look at our lives and actually leave some things we’ve been trying to change with God asking Him to give us the strength not to pick them up again. Let’s also give ourselves some grace. We won’t turn it all around in a week. We need to learn patience so we can endure the wait. We have to remember that God’s grace is sufficient for us and His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9). 

While we are doing things differently this year, we should consult God on what He wants us to change. We should be prepared for it to take work from us. God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves. He doesn’t operate in a place where we will get the glory belonging to Him. Yes, He will direct our path and make our way straight, but we have to move. We have to choose His way. There is only His way and death. We are either following the Lord, or we are not. There is no middle ground. There is no gray. 

If you don’t have a personal relationship with the Lord and you’re looking for one, no better day than today. You can ask Him to be Lord of your life wherever you are. Ask Him to forgive your sins, admitting your need for a savior (we all need Jesus). Ask Him to come into your life as Lord and to lead and guide you. Ask Him to help you turn from your old ways, leave them behind and follow Him. Rom 10:9 states, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Because of God’s great grace (unmerited favor), we are justified by faith through Jesus Christ and therefore saved (Rom 5:1; Eph 2:8-9). It’s up to us, but don’t wait too long. Time is winding down and we don’t know how long we have. No time like the present. 

I hope and pray that 2024 is your best year yet! Be blessed.