Yesterday in staff planning with our church staff, my husband shared a quote by Shane Pruitt. It’s been stewing in my brain ever since.
"New beginnings don’t start with the turn of the calendar page, but rather with turning to Jesus."
In January I am always eager to make plans to start fresh, lose weight, eat healthier, manage my time better, keep a tidier house—you get the picture. Some years I have more success than others. But like millions of others, it doesn’t take long to get sidetracked and defeated.
And the next January, I find myself right where I was last year.
But what if we looked at the new year as a time to refocus on Jesus. I’m not talking about scheduling Bible reading or morning prayer time (although those are good and profitable things to do.) I am suggesting that we actually turn ourselves toward Jesus—not just our eyes, as the old hymn says, but our complete being. What if I turn my mind, my actions, my time, my habits toward Jesus? Would I reprioritize? Would I change anything? Would I set different goals?
Turning ourselves toward Jesus demonstrates humility. When we turn toward him, our imperfections and sin might at first be glaring and magnified in the light of his holiness. But that’s not how God sees us. In fact, as his child, he only sees the holiness of his son covering me. I stand in the shadow of his grace, love, mercy, compassion and holiness. And it is gloriously humbling.
So, if you’re already having trouble keeping those resolutions, goals or word of the year focus, turn toward Jesus. That’s where we find the real change we need to see in our lives and our world. That’s where new beginnings begin!
Devotional Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14