I am not much for New Year’s resolutions, mostly because I find the artifice of picking one particular day over any other, as a good start point, is not helpful for me. If something is worth doing, I hope I can compel myself to begin doing so at any time of the year. If it is helpful for you, then by all means go for it. There is wisdom in taking hold of something which can act as a motivational catalyst. As such, New Year’s days is an obvious choice. Therefore, if you are now inspired to do something different, new, or to re-establish past good habits, I highly encourage all to start taking the necessary steps to achieve your goals.

Whatever future goals we do have for ourselves Scripture encourages us not to allow our past experiences, or our past failures to hinder us from now moving forward. Isaiah 43:18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” Philippians 3:13 “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” Why? Because we have already laid hold of the greatest hope there is in Christ Jesus. And his plan for us, every day, is to so us become more conformed into his image.

The enemy of our souls is all too ready to keep pointing fingers, accusing us of our sinful rebellious ways. Should we listen to his harping voice, he will cloud our vision for our future and trap us in the present, all by focusing on our past. Therefore, what we are to never forget are the great and merciful promises of the Lord.

• Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” 
• Psalm 37:5, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.”
• Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
• Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
• Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

The freeing love of Christ should be our daily source of strength in all things. Whether you are like me, or whether you like to make New Year’s resolutions, we have the same hope. My prayer for Grace as we begin this new year is not that we should all strive to make change. Rather, my desire is to see us enter more fully into his rest. Paradoxically, when we rest in his grace, trusting in his promise to faithfully complete the good work he has begun in us, we are freed from the tyranny of the past, and the sin which so easily entangles.

My prayer for Grace; whatever hold the past has upon us, I pray will fall like broken fetters, so that we may unashamedly dance before the Lord as David did. I pray our hearts will be caught up in the wonder of God’s grace, so we may experience the freedom to move forward in him.  Amen.