Let's talk about New Year's resolutions. You know, those goals you set about only seven weeks ago. Jan. 1 is the ultimate day to proclaim, "New year, new me." But now it is mid-February and I bet that most resolutions have been broken or just plain forgotten by now. I see more evidence of these failed goals at my job every day as the year progresses. In January, everybody wanted a sugar-free, skinny latte. Now, everybody wants the most chocolaty drink on the menu.
Feeling like a failure and no different than your old self can be discouraging and exhausting. If you feel this way or even if you really don't care that much about resolutions, please read on. I have some good news for you.
The first day of the year isn't the only day we can become a new person. By the grace of God, we can be made new every day. Every day our sinful human nature causes us to fail to be perfect. Our sins caused us to be separated from God, but He loves us so much that He sent His son Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sins. Because of Jesus, we don't have to carry the burden of being imperfect and we don't have to worry about redefining ourselves at the flip of a calendar page.
2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." How awesome is that!? By having faith in Christ, we are new creations who no longer have to rely on our imperfect selves. Instead, we can trust and hope in God to renew us daily.
I don't know about you, but I find great comfort and peace in knowing that my identity is not reliant on how much I succeed or fail at the goals I have set. I gave up soda for all of 2015 but I refused to call that my New Year's resolution because I would have been so upset if I failed. Seriously, life would be stressful, disappointing, and unfulfilling if I had to rely on my own works. My identity is in Christ and because of that, I am a new creation. I genuinely hope and pray that everybody can experience that same freedom.
From now on, instead of spending one day saying, "New year, new me" and then being disappointed when those resolutions are not kept, we can daily say, "Same faithful and steadfast God, new me."
Now that is something to rejoice in!
