The Not So New Year

New Year is always a time for fresh starts and new beginnings. I hope maybe you have taken this time of year to reflect and to spend some time thinking about what really matters in life and making some decisions about some changes needed in your life.

Sometimes the real problem is that life gets in the way of change. We want to do right. We want to be a better husband, father, pastor, brother, son, friend, LSU fan, etc. We have good causes in sight. We want the right things. The new year is a time for lofty ideals and Godly goals.

The problem is that not too much later life gets in the way and the new year is not so new. It can actually get old quickly. It seems the higher than goal and the tougher the standard the harder the temptation. So what are we to do?

Many people have sworn off New Year’s resolutions. Some eat crazy new year meals to get the year in the right order. Others simply live in frustration feeling like failures.

I want to share a passage of Scripture with you that might make you love the not so new year.

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

God’s compassion, God’s grace, God’s mercy is new every day. His love never fails us even when we fail to love Him. We don’t really need new years, we just need new grace. We need God’s compassion.

So don’t give up on resolutions. Don’t give up on change. Don’t give up on the new year. Simply, don’t give up. God will not give up on you.

Don’t give up. Get up. Try again. So you ate like a pig today, don’t call it quits and decide to remain a glutton. Get up tomorrow and try again. Go for run. Walk. Do something.

So you got angry with your kids and yelled although you said you would never do it again. Take God’s grace straight to them and ask them to forgive you. Then tomorrow, don’t yell.

You are not a failure. You are a follower. Everyone falls, but followers get back up. They stand up knowing that it is by God’s grace they stand. They move forward in their life and in their faith. They are not afraid of the Not so New Year. They embrace it. They know that God is not finished when they fail. That is when he gets started.

So the year is not so new. So your attempt at change is not so new. So you are not so new. The old has not quite gone just yet. Well you know what is new. God’s compassion. God’s grace. God’s faithfulness. So tell Satan to shove it. Get up. Do something new. Do something different. Do something better. Do something.

And praise God that you can.