New Beginnings

New calendars full of blank boxes, blank pages, and hope. Do Januarys make you think about all the things you’d like to have or do differently in the New Year?

There’s something about “starting fresh” that appeals to us. It might be a new job, a new place to live, or just a new year complete with 365 days stretching out before us. Genesis tells us that “In the beginning God created…” Being creatures made in His image, perhaps that is why we feel a creative sense when we consider new beginnings.

Later in Genesis the biography of Noah and the flood is recorded. God makes a covenant with Noah to never again flood the earth. In a sense it was a “do over”—a new beginning. One thing we need to remember about that story, however, is that God did not make new creatures. He brought the old ones out of the ark. It doesn’t take long before we read of Noah’s drunkenness.

As we consider all the things we would like to be different in this coming year, we need to remember we bring ourselves along on the journey. We will not suddenly be more disciplined, have better metabolism, fewer bills, a higher salary, more friends or easier family situation. But if we seek God’s face as we consider change and growth, He will give us direction.

Here are 10 easy tips:
Write down your goals.
Then cut them in half!
Tell someone your goals.
Keep track of your progress.
Reward yourself with each success.
Be optimistic.
Be prepared for difficulty and failure.
Adjust course as needed.
Measure growth by months and years, not days.
Treat each day as a brand-new beginning.

Tip list from: Today’s Christian Woman
January/February, 2002, Vol. 24, No. 1, Page 30

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