It’s here! A new year full of possibility and opportunity. Twelve months. Fifty-two weeks. Three hundred and sixty five days. Eight thousand, seven hundred and sixty hours. Well, you get the picture. We have a strange relationship with each new year. We all feel compelled to make some changes in our lives, which is not a bad thing, yet we are often held back by our failures from the past. Sometimes we make a resolution to change, but since we failed at making significant changes in the past, we figure there is no use in trying again.
If this depicts your struggle with resolutions, I would ask you to reflect upon the following Scripture verse: “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” (Philippians 3:13) It’s important to note that Paul does not simply say to look forward to achieving the goal, but to first forget the past. To press forward, we must let go of the things from the past that hold us back from moving forward. That does not mean that we cannot learn from the past, but we should not dwell on the past. We cannot let the past paralyze us with fear or guilt.
Jesus said: “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) When we focus on our past, we begin to believe that what we have been is what we will always be. The Bible promises us that with God the opposite is true! Indeed, consider 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
I would encourage you to make resolutions that would glorify God. Sure, that could mean reading your Bible more, but it could mean many things: improving a relationship; furthering your education; taking control of health issues; and the list could go on and on. My point is this, as Christians we should always seek to glorify God. Indeed, we are told in 1 Corinthians 10:31 – “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
So, make plans to improve yourself, and look forward to it!
Happy New Year!
Posted by Ramón Torres
Thank you for this reminder of our God that has a heart for us as we are right now. His mercies are new each day. When I am stumbling over my past, these words from the Good News that you you shared help me to set my eyes forward.
As I prayed on Jan 1 the words Renew And Restore kept popping in but then as I began to close, the word Rejoice came in so strongly that it made my heart race a bit. I’m excited for a new year.