All things new

Another new year is on the horizon. Happy to say, it’s one day closer to Jesus’s promised return to the earth.

This time of year leads many to make a New Year’s resolution. Lose weight, stop bad habits, cut carbs, etc. are usually on the to-do list come the first of January. Out with the old and in with the new. Yet how many times have these pledges dissolved by the first snowfall? Our spirits are willing, though our flesh is weak.

There are some who vow to become a better person in the New Year. They’re committed to turning over a new leaf. Start anew. Change. This is an admirable goal to achieve, yet by true grit and their own strength, they will often miss the mark.

Sinners, as we all are, need not turn over a new leaf—but a new heart. We can’t use the stuff of flesh to make better flesh; we need the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work. It’s not about you or I becoming a better Joe, Jane, or John. It’s about becoming more like the savior of the world. We can do “all things through Christ” who strengthens us by his spirit.

May this New Year be your opportunity to yield to God not just some but all of your heart’s goals, hopes, and dreams, so he may mold you into the image of his son. When you delight in the Lord, he will give you the desires of your heart. That is…because they will be His desires, too, which are ultimately what is best for you.

Happy New Year!