Happy New Year! Today
is a day that the world celebrates new beginnings. The old year is past and a new year has begun. Whatever happened in 2013 is in the history
books and today 2014 begins.
Maybe last year was great or not so great for you, but it
doesn’t matter because it is over, and you get to start a New Year fresh.
Fresh.
Sort of like the new life we have in Christ Jesus. The old
things are passed away and all things have become new. Whatever your old life was like, your new
life is fresh as the morning dew.
Paul the apostle was a man that knew what it meant to be new
in Christ. His old life ended on the
road to Damascus in Acts chapter nine when he fell to the ground, blinded by a
great light from heaven. The Lord spoke
to him, and his life was instantly changed. Three days later his eyes are
healed and he is baptized.
This man, who had been the church’s worst enemy, now became
the church’s best missionary! He ended
up writing about half of the New Testament, and is the one who taught the
message of grace apart from works stronger than any of the other apostles of
the Lord.
One of the things that Paul wrote is found in Philippians;
“I don’t mean to say I am perfect. I haven’t
learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward that day when I will
finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. No,
dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my
energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting
the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach
the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to
heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us.” Philippians
3:12-14 The Living Bible [emphasis mine]
It is a great lesson for us as we start this New Year.
Forget the past!
Look forward to what lies ahead!
Focus your energy on finishing the race strongly!
Why? Because of what Christ Jesus has done for
us!
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