Articles
Happy New Year!
“A New Year, A New Beginning”
The old year ends, a new begins
With pages clean and new;
And what is written on each page
will now depend on you.
You can’t relive the year that’s past,
Erasing every wrong;
For once a year - or day - is spent,
It is forever gone.
But don’t give up in dark despair
If you have failed some test;
Seek God’s forgiveness and resolve
Henceforth to do your best.
Resolve each precious day to do
Things good and kind and pure;
Though days and years may pass away,
These things shall still endure.
You know not where your path may lead
Nor what’s beyond the hill;
But know that God walks at your side,
If you will do His will.
All things are possible with God,
Though days be bright or dim;
So do your best and know that you
Can leave the rest to Him.
- Author Unknown
One Year Closer To…
There is always a lot of talk this time of year about resolving to improve ourselves. Some want to lose weight, stem the tide of hair loss, get plastic surgery, bring their cholesterol down, eat less red meat, as well as countless other superficialities. Others want to make their marriages stronger, their relationship with their children more healthy, or their spiritual lives more fulfilling. In any case, big or small, a New Year’s resolution is an opportunity to change. But there are some lessons we need to consider before running along with the rest of the world in its mad rush for self improvement and enhancement. There is an unfortunate danger and a number of pitfalls associated with this tradition, beginning with the fact that it is most often a short term answer to a long term problem. New Year’s resolutions often focus on fixing something superficial – just enough that we feel better about ourselves without actually making significant spiritual changes.
So when you’re pondering a New Year’s Resolution this go-around, think about the meaningful spiritual changes that need to take place. Remember the truth about time, mortality, and judgment. First, every January that comes our way is just one more year closer to the day of our death. With that kind of perspective, we really need to stop and consider just what we have done with the past 365 days that we have been blessed with by God (Ephesians 5:16, James 4:14). Every January brings us one year closer to the day the Lord returns (2 Peter 3:8-12). It also brings us closer to the day we will stand before God in judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10).
