The Gift of ‘Newness’ in the New Year

Someone once said there are regulators on our lives that help control and shape our destinies. These regulators include things we often take for granted like energy, sleep, food, money, and time. Wise management of these regulators can mean the difference between an average and an abundant life.

Another important regulator is what I call “newness.” Every 24 hours we are greeted by a new day at midnight. Sunday morning brings a new week. On our birthday, we celebrate another new year of life.

The Bible speaks of God’s promise to us of “newness” in this life:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23, ESV)

With each new start, those who love God and follow in His ways are greeted with these new mercies. We likely will not know until we get to heaven all the ways these “mercies” are manifested in our lives. They are the small and large interventions where God propels our lives toward His plan.

I don’t know about you, but I’m very thankful for the new mercies of God every day.

A New Year – A New Start

One way we human beings tend to “clean the slate” is by leaving behind the old year and forging ahead with hope and expectation in the New Year. It is a wonderful way to give ourselves a psychological and emotional new beginning.

C.S. Lewis gives this insight: “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” I would add, you are also never too young to dream your dreams.

It is customary for many to make New Year’s resolutions – setting goals at this important turning of the page. But as Abraham Lincoln wisely declared, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

As you are made in the image of the Creator, you have been endowed with the ability also to create. But first you must envision the dream – you must believe in it – and then you must do what is needed to see the dream happen.

And every New Year gives you a fresh chance to create that dream.

The Seasons of Life

In addition to each new year, I believe God also graces our lives with new seasons. We see this in the famous declaration of Solomon:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, ESV)

And also Isaiah:

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19, ESV)

No matter what season you may find yourself in, it is prudent to remember, this time “has come to pass.” A new season in life may not be connected to the calendar, but it is certainly a fresh start – a gift from Heaven.

Your Need for “Newness”

Whatever you may be facing today, know that God has built “newness” into your life to give you hope and strength to press on. He has also given you talents and abilities that are available to open the door to future success.

Your role is to engage your circumstances with those talents – trusting God for His grace, favor, and strength – and then be persistent in pursuing your dream, your goal, your plan. Vern McLellan said it this way: “What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year.”

The future is yours to write. And the New Year provides you with a book full of 365 blank pages. So get out your pen, roll up your sleeves, and chase that dream!

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” ― Edith Lovejoy Pierce