New Year Beginnings for the christian believer
New Year beginnings for the Christian believer can bring one hope, happiness, and peace in an unsettled world of chaos and uncertainty; one in which you never really know what will happen from one minute to the next.
Being a follower of Christ gives you the security and lifetime fulfillment in knowing that whatever comes your way, it is for the testing and purifying of your faith in patience and in love. Here it tells us in:
- 1 Peter 1:6-9 that, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, thou now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom , though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."
- 2 Timothy 3:14-15 also says, "But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
- Romans 8:18 encourages us, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us."
We know that as each year passes, a new one presents itself with its own frustrations, challenges, victories, and opportunities. So, let us thank the Lord for all the goodness He has done in our lives, as well as all the obstacles and challenges He has brought us through this past year; looking forward to many things wonderful to come in the next year ahead of us.
planning for the new year
As you ring in the New Year, waving goodbye to the old year, you may feel a sigh of relief to see it go; promising that the coming year will be a better one all the way around. You may attempt this by doing some of these following activities:
- Creating New Year's resolutions for yourself and your family.
- Making promises to your boss, co-workers, family, or self
- Purging away old things, projects, people, or habits that get in the way of your progress
- Buying new clothes, new gym membership, new relationships; developing new habits that improve your lifestyle
- Turning over a new leaf in your job and home life with a better attitude
- Visiting the doctor or dentist when you have been putting it off for years, etc.
All of these wonderful things help to make your upcoming New Year go smoothly; however, please do not leave God out while making your plans for a better year.
It's great to make plans for yourself and your family, but just remember that God already has His plan for your life set, even way before the foundation of the world was made! How incredible is that! Here's how we know this:
- Ephesians 1:4-6 tells us, "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved."
- John 15:16 says, "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you."
- Jeremiah 29:11 says, "'For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,' saith the Lord, 'thoughts of peace, and of evil, to give you an expected end.'"
- Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established."
- James 4:13-16 reminds us, "Go to now, ye that say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain': Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, 'If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.' But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil."
- Proverbs 19:21 tells us, "There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand."
- Psalms 119:133 says, "Order my steps in Thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me." Lastly,
- Philippians 1:6 reminds us, "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
new year means new opportunities for sharing the gospel
Time is short, as you may well know. Each new year brings forth new opportunities for witnessing and testifying to others as you share the Good News of the gospel with them. It may be in the form of preaching and teaching, Sunday school classes, missions, child evangelism, women's/men's groups, or any other kind of ministry of service to God.
God has allotted each of us a certain amount of time to do His purpose here on earth and to tend to His business for His kingdom. What is your purpose? What are your spiritual gifts? When you ask the Lord for the answers to these questions and more, do so knowing in advance that God expects you and me to use those gifts, skills, and talents He has blessed us with to further the gospel and to add to His kingdom as well.
Think of this as well: We will each give an account to Him of all He has given us--our temple (our physical bodies), our money, our time, our energy, wonderful friends and family, food, homes, vegetable gardens, our words, our deeds, just everything! All that He allows us to have, He fully expects us to share with others too.
Yes, we are to be stewards of our precious time. Once it is spent; we can never get it back. Even Jesus had work to do here on earth, spending His time and energy wisely, and that was to fulfill the purpose in which God sent Him to do.
As this New Year approaches, contemplate and consider how you want to spend your time in service to the Lord for His work. The following are a few passages of Scripture to remind you and me of this valuable asset that remains to be so important in how we live our lives as Christian believers in the New Year:
- Psalms 90:12 tells us, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."
- Colossians 4:5 says, "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time."
- Ecclesiates 3:1-8 states, "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."
- John 17:4 says what Jesus did, "I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do."
- Ephesians 5:15-16 warns us, "See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise; Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Finally,
- 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, "(For He saith, 'I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation I have succoured; behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.")
On New Year's Day, the world offers parties, drinking, drugs, friend and family outings, football games, joyous laughter, dancing, reveling, and carousing all about. People seemingly don't have a care in the world when they are having a good time celebrating the New Year.
Why not celebrate with your church members, or friends/family in spiritual fellowship and fervent prayer time as you ask the Lord to bless, protect, and keep you throughout another new year?
When I was a kid my parents would take me and my siblings to church on New Year's Eve a few hours before midnight. As a united family, we would pray alongside other church family members. We did so, everyone of us, on our knees, praying the old year out, and the new year in. Those precious times are to be remembered always. You may want to start the same kind of tradition for your family as well.
Spend your time this New Year with the Lord Jesus Christ, your dear Savior and friend, who loves you more than anyone in this world, and who sacrificed His life so that you may spend the rest of eternity in Heaven, with Him. May the Lord bless you richly in the coming New Year!
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