New Beginnings

Tanya James

Every year around the beginning of December, people around the world implement a list of new action items in their lives effective January 1st. We decide to start working out or eating better. We vow to finally launch that business or go back to school. We promise to give up smoking or drinking or some other addiction that we have.

We re-dedicate to a lifestyle of prayer and worship or to be nicer to everyone around you; the list can be endless.

However, many times before the month of January is over, we’ve already forgotten about or given up on many of the action items on our list. And for some of the items, we wont even reconsider them again until the end of the year when its time to start thinking about the new year.

We also tend to put God on our schedule – declaring what He will do (or wont do) in the new year. And doesn't it seem like these declarations tend to come in the form of a statement 'rhyming' with the current year?

For example: "We will win in 2010!"
I'm sure you can name a few others you've heard lately as well.

This cycle has always been perplexing to me, Why do we tend to only equate new beginnings with a new year? Who decided that January 1st was the date to renew goals and to dream bigger? And if these things are important beginning January, why aren’t they important enough to start immediately?

And why do we place a timetable or time limit on when God can move in our lives? Using the above example, do we only want to WIN in 2010? How awesome would it be if instead of having this time of “reflection” and “renewal” only once a year...we did it daily?

What if we claimed the promises of God on a regular basis and not just for our new year’s declarations?
“Behold I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it?” Isaiah 43:19

Will we miss that new thing because it’s not the first of the year when we expect new things? Or will we be open to receive and embrace what God has for us AND what God is calling us to do right now, regardless of what the date is?

I challenge you to let go of the “new year’s” resolutions and instead make “lifestyle” resolutions. Daily, make it a priority to strive to be more Christ-like. Daily, implement Psalm 34 into your schedule (I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth). Daily, move forward in those things God has called you to do and be!

And let’s stop putting God in our yearly boxes. He has things in store that we can’t even begin to think of, and those things may not “rhyme” with entrance of every new year.

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” Lamentations 3:22-23

New mercies daily...
...now that sounds like the type of new beginning that I want to grab hold of!