Passing from one year into the next can cause a wide range of emotions to surface. I know that I sometimes approach it with a sense of cautious exhilaration. Encountering a precipice of saying goodbye to something known and stepping out into the unknown. For some it carries with it the hope of something better to come.
The fresh start that the new year suggests brings with it a desire to do better this time. Many greet the new year with an eagerness for self improvement in some area. Others may be inclined to commit to investing their time and energies in a more meaningful manner. We tend to specify these as resolutions.
How do you prepare for the new installment of 365 days? And what is a resolution? According to Dictionary.com a resolution has to do with a decision or determination and having firmness of purpose.
As the end of 2013 approached I was reminded of the words from Philippians 3 and labeled them my "End of year analysis" ... Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead ... I press on.
2013 is in the past. Hopefully I have obtained knowledge and understanding that I can carry into the future. There are relationships that have deepened or been birthed that will continue to have a place in my life. But there are also mistakes and failures that have been placed at the foot of the cross and I do not plan on dragging them with me into the new year.
The emphasis from Philippians 3:13-14 for me is the straining toward what is ahead. My goal is the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
And so I press on ...
My aim for 2014 comes from Hebrews 12: (to) run with perseverance the race ... fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.
Once I have confessed and learned from my mistakes and failures they serve no purpose to me but to drag me down and make me feel really terrible about myself. Focusing on myself and the negatives of my past is not my goal. My aim is to fix my eyes on Jesus and to run the race with perseverance. I like what Dictionary.com provides as a definition for perseverance: steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, ... especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles or discouragement.
I'm not expecting 2014 to be without difficulties, but I certainly do not plan on being weighed down by the struggles of 2013, as well. Those I leave behind. And the obstacles I encounter this year will not stop me from running the race with purpose ... my goal is the prize.
Although my resolution for the new year should probably include something like beginning an exercise regimen, being more disciplined in prayer or limiting my time on social media ... I resolve to turn my gaze toward Jesus Christ and run the race with perseverance.
It will be interesting for me at the end of 2014 to see the effects this resolution has had on me. Even the day to day aspect is an interesting prospect. I wonder what this new year resolution will look like in my life?
Have a blessed New Year everyone. And as we turn our calendars to a new year, let's turn our eyes upon Jesus ...
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