A New Year, A New Start

The year 2020 provided challenges for us all, but the New Year awaits us and offers many opportunities for a New Start in our lives.

Before we make our new year’s resolutions to lose weight, change our diet, or exercise, let’s also consider a New Start in our spiritual life.  There are probably weights we can lay aside, changes to what we take into our spiritual minds, and many opportunities to better exercise our spiritual man.  A New Start in our spiritual life will bring a welcomed change to everyone around us.

First, if we are not saved, we can make a New Start in Christ by believing on the gospel and repenting of all our sins.  God will blot out (erase) all our past sins if we ask him sincerely.  2 Cor 5:17 says, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  A New Start with the Lord means a new start for every aspect of our life.  Imagine how better our life would be with the Holy Spirit present daily to lead and guide us.

If we are already saved, we can make a New Start by increasing our prayer life, bible reading, church attendance, or our consecration to the Lord.  The thought may come, “I’ve tried that before and failed.”  In those cases, it may have been an act of will which left us on our own to keep our promise.  In this case, I challenge you to make a commitment, but also ask God to help you keep your commitment. (Ps 121:1-2) The Lord will add new mercies everyday as we carry out His will. (Lam 3:22-23)

A New Start will result in spiritual blessings in the lives of others.  Think of the lives we will change, relationships we will repair, bodies and hearts healed, and the countless souls saved.  The Lord wants to use us so much greater in 2021 than He did in 2020, but it all starts with a simple commitment to make a New Start.

It is a New Year, let us make a New Start.