New Year, Fresh Start, By Greg Bradley

It’s that time of year again! The beginning of a new year, also known as New Year, New You! We hear it all the time, and we often make those famous New Year Resolutions that can leave us feeling like a failure if we do not stick to them. We set expectations of the new year as we go into uncharted waters, not knowing what the next year will bring but hoping for the best I have heard the definition of resolutions as: an admission that we have failed, and a resolution is an expression of a desire to change The reality is it has been found that 90% of resolutions fail in the first month.

The new year has us looking for new beginnings, a new you, new goals, new life, new jobs, new friends, the list goes on. With the new year we look forward to a clean slate, a starting over with positive change, which is probably why there are more marriage proposals on New Years Eve and Day than any other day of the year What we often fail to realize is, God says He makes all things new, not us. Revelations 21:5 “I am making all things new”. If we surrender ourselves to Him, He will make us new. We can’t just jump in a phone booth like Clark Kent does and come out like a Super Christian.

Phil 3:13

”Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,“ Philippians 3:13 NIV

Look forward and not behind as Paul speaks about in this scripture. Paul was a man that had a horrible past, until he had an encounter with God. Don’t be looking back at your failures and disappointments. Don’t let your past define who you are! You need to keep looking forward and get into His Word and find out who the Bible says you are.

”“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.“

Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV

Again we are told to not look back because once we repent those things are gone in God’s eyes. In God’s eyes the slate is clean, all things are forgotten. That doesn’t mean that things won’t come back up but it’s what you do with it when it does. Don’t dwell on it just keep looking forward. There is a newness that He gives us and we have to hold on to that. We must hold on to the peace of knowing that God makes us new if we just ask.

In Col 3:12-17 it tells us things that we need to practice to gain peace in our lives. One of these is forgiveness, which is sometimes not easy, but we must practice it if we want to have peace in our hearts. Forgiving others, yourself and sometimes even God. Keep bitterness out and put a song in your heart to God with gratitude to Him. These instructions come from His word. Read it, practice it, and plant it in your heart this New Years and see what new change it makes.

Phil. 3:18-20 tells us that if we press forward you take on the heart of God. Let us make the resolution for a new you by doing these steps to help us look forward.

1. Worship God daily - it changes your atmosphere

2. Pray daily, talk to Him, and build that relationship

3. Read His Word daily even if it’s just one verse. Read what you are to God and what He is to you

Let’s do this for the NEW YEAR AND NEW YOU!

Greg Bradley and his wife Laura, Pastored The Diffrence (spelled wrong on purpose) church in Pilot Point from 2012 - 2019 They now attend Northrock Church in Aubrey and do online devotionals and YouTube videos.