One year ago we were different in ways than we are today and one year from now, we will have changed. Many make optimistic plans of how their change will look the coming year. This year will be their year, the year when their income will increase and relationships will improve. This year will be the year they are finally able to change in the ways they’ve long desired.
We hope that this year will be better than last. What new experiences or changes will come our way? Others approach the New Year with mixed emotions hesitant to let go of the past. Some make a list of bad deeds and resolve “from now on I will…”—how many “from-now-ons” have there already been! Some believe that a good intention means a new beginning, that on their own they can make a new start whenever they want. That would be nice if it was that easy.
One thing that we can all count on this year is change.
Some changes we choose and others we don’t. The theme of change is a constant in the scriptures. What does the nature of that change look like? God changes the direction of a person and a nation into a people who reflect Him to the rest of the world and we can be part of that same story. The Apostle Paul lays out the kind of change God desires for His people.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14
Yet more often than not, despite our high hopes and our best efforts, we fail to change in the ways God desires. We can’t just grit our teeth and force ourselves to act with compassion. Trying harder on our own won’t lead to change it leads to frustration. We can say, “Yes, Jesus, I’m all in, except when it comes to being generous with my time and money or how I run my company or how I treat people.”
Yes, Jesus, I’m all in, but maybe not entirely.
Jesus isn’t at all interested in our being changed into people who simply become nicer and more agreeable, all the while maintaining our own little kingdoms. God does not ask us to accommodate Him, but to live for Him. He has something far more different in mind for us this New Year. That is to choose to…
Live for what matters to God.
Any of us who have attempted change know if this year is going to be any different we need a new approach, a change of perspective. Becoming what God desires of us is not as simple as changing a tire. It is not a quick fix. It’s a heart change. The question is not if we will change, but how we will we change. Change is inevitable. Which changes can you make this year? You do have a choice.
For a Christ follower we are called to a new way of life, to a new kingdom, to a faith filled life.
As unknowingly difficult and as painful as this can be, we need to leave our own self-interested little kingdoms behind. Maybe a part of our own little kingdoms is having a perspective of ‘my way is Yahweh’s’ or don’t you see, this is the way things ought to be according to me. Or maybe it’s how we measure our own success, or maybe it’s trying to control people and circumstances. Or maybe it’s living for the approval of others.
These things don’t just distract us from a greater kingdom they can consume us. They can control us. They can suck the very life right out of us. They can be so utterly empty and meaningless. There is a better way.
There are certainly things we cannot change, but there are changes we can make that can leave a lasting impact in other people’s lives if we choose to live for what matters to God. God has been changing hearts and minds of people and nations for thousands of years and He desires to change yours’ and mine too.
Throughout this New Year may our heart’s prayer be
Father, not my will, but thy will be done…your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. What do you want me to do for You?
The God that changes not, changes everything! Be grateful that His love for you and I will never change! That’s one thing we can count on!
