You have to walk into this new year as if it’s a new season of life. You can’t allow what went down this past year to predict or influence what’s coming up. You’re not your past, nor your prior mistakes. You’re not how people have treated you or who they’ve tried to define you as. You are a child of God, and as part of your inheritance, your Heavenly Father is delivering you a fresh start for this year. In this season, allow Him to define who you are, to provide what you need, and to guide you through it all.
2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
In this new season, I want you to take your eyes off your circumstances and place them on Jesus. Don’t look to the left or to the right. Don’t be distracted by the size of the battle. Instead, remember who you fight for. Your God controls every battlefield. The One who controls the wind and the waves, He will fight for you. He will provide for you. You don’t have to do it alone this new year. He is making the way and providing all you need.
Isaiah 43:18-19
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”
Just because you can’t see a change coming, that doesn’t mean it’s not happening. The Lord wants you to live your best life, in Him, this year. To do this, He needs your total surrender and commitment. Don’t seek a solution. Seek His face. Dive into the truths of His Word. Press onward, trusting God and the promises found for you in scripture. It’s okay if you haven’t sought Him in the past for your life. Seek Him now. Begin living each day for Christ, and He will lead you to new heights with Him this year.
Philippians 3:13
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”
God is not disappointed in you. He rejoices over you with singing. You are His child, and He loves you dearly. Nothing is unknown to Him! Before He even formed you in your mother’s womb, He knew the mistakes you would make and the problems you would face. He is calling to you now to come to Him, despite your faults, and to trust that He has a plan for your life. Yes, you! His plans are for your good future. He loves you that much.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
This can be the year you lay down worry. This can be the year to tell anxiety that it’s gotta go. This can be the year that you stop trying in your own power and that you start allowing God to take control. How do you do this?!
Start simply by asking Him to take control of your new year ahead. Then follow by seeking Him consistently in each new day. When you wake, speak to Him—even if you don’t hear Him answering back! He loved you first. Now it’s your turn, and when you love someone, you talk to them. Build a relationship by talking regularly with the Lord. Tell Him your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your worries, and your gratitude.
As you seek the Lord in conversation and relationship, you will feel more comfortable placing your trust in Him.
- Grab the Bible. Read some every day—even if you can’t understand it all at first. Ask your Father to reveal His truth for your life through scripture.
- Seek and you will find. Knock and He will answer. Commit to seeking Him through His Word. Then watch your life change.
- When you have a problem, seek the Lord. Speak to Him about it. Pray for His guidance, and read the Bible for your answer. When you have a worry, hand it over to Him by bringing it to Him in prayerful conversation. Tell your Abba Father that you can’t fix it, but you believe He can. Believe it, and then watch what He does.
Celebrate your small victories with Him. Write them down. Tell Him thank you. Focus on the positive things in your life, and pray about the rest. Speak life into your day. Speak scripture out loud. Speak positively about yourself.
You’re not old, fat, or bad at your job. You’re a child of the Most High God, created in His image to do great things for His kingdom. He fashioned you according to His will, so be excited for the life He has destined for you as you seek that will.
Trust Him this new year to take you to new heights with Him and in your life. Seek and you will find. You were made for so much more than this. Step into the New Year with a passion for His purposes for you!
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
