A new year can be a refreshing. It is a restart. It's like a new year signifies the disappearing of all things old and encourages the presence of all things new. This year the things of 2016 are gone and the things of 2017 are being brought on. Its like this one day makes all the difference and allows us to forget the pains, the regrets, the craziness of what happened previously and push on toward what is ahead.
Isn't this how our walk with God should look?
Before we accept Christ into our hearts and lives, we are full of regrets and pain and sorrow. It isn't until after we all God to work in our hearts and lives that we see a radical transformation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
What does this mean?
This means we are made completely new before the Lord because of what Jesus did on the cross. We have been renewed and restored. We have been made whole in Him. We are now viewed as holy and righteous, as heirs to the throne. We are not viewed as sinners. We are not seen as condemned. Instead, we are able to stand before God as Jesus does- pure and blameless.
Despite all of this, it is most often us who have the most difficult time letting go of our past. Sometimes it just may not be so easy to let go of. Perhaps it haunts you. Perhaps, it's your biggest regret or your biggest failure. Perhaps it's something you didn't do. Perhaps it's a time where you feel like you didn't obey God. I don't know what your life looks like. I don't know what's happened to you or what you've done. What I do know is that you have been forgiven and that you are loved. I know that God loves you and He is your true Heavenly Father. I know He wants to restore you; you just have to let Him.
With the simple change of a calendar, we tell ourselves that we'll start eating healthier and exercising more. We say we'll do all of these things that we've never done before. If you really put this concept into perspective, it makes no sense. It's basically saying that in one day, you're entire life could change. In one day, you're going to stop eating all those Christmas cookies that you've been stuffing yourself with for the entire month of December. In one day, you're actually going to gain the motivation to run.
I'm not saying that those things aren't possible because they totally are and many people have been successful at changing those aspects of their lives. However, if you want a transformation that can happen in a split second, a transformation that will radically change your life, there's only one answer, and that answer is Jesus Christ.
The truth is that the first step to moving forward is letting go of the past. You can't move on if the past is still dragging you backwards. The great thing about this Jesus-orchestrated transformation is that you don't have to wait until January 1st. You can accept this radical transformation into your life any day, at anytime. You can let go and give it all to Him whenever you want.
I know there's a lot of things in my own life that I'd like to change for this upcoming year. There's a lot of work that I need the Lord to do in my heart and life. BUT nothing, and I mean NOTHING, compares to the change that came from letting the Lord into my life for the first time. That's the first step. If you haven't already taken it, then I would most definitely suggest you do so. I promise that it's a choice you will not regret.
For those of you who have already taken this step, I hope and pray that you will continue to push forward into the Lord. Don't allow what's happened in the past to hold you back from the great things that God has in store for your future. Don't allow the past to control you. Instead live in the present and be driven by eternity.
2 Corinthians 3:18 "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
Happy New Year, everyone!
