We are almost two weeks into January. How are we doing? Hanging onto those New Year Resolutions? Hopefully, you’re making progress on your “just five things.” (See last post: To Resolve or Not to Resolve)
The New Year is Gone
Sometimes our grip on the New Year starts to loosen right about now, right around the middle of January. Our inspiration has faded and the New Year’s luster has worn off. Perhaps we’re thinking we’ve bitten off more than we can chew. Perhaps our diet is getting boring. Perhaps we’ve missed a few days of Bible reading and we’re starting to think we’ll never keep up.
Don’t worry and Don’t give up. Our God knows we need a fresh start on a regular basis. We have a fresh start every day. Every morning, as new as the sunrise. In fact, the Bible says God’s mercies are new every morning.
“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV)
God’s Point of View
What a wonderful picture of God’s unending mercy. Unfortunately, we are not so kind to ourselves. When we fail one day, we tend to not give ourselves a fresh start, a chance to catch up. Instead, we tell ourselves that of course we failed, we always fail, we’ll never make it.
Let’s try to be more like God toward ourselves. (How’s that for a concept?!) We talk a lot about how we need to love others like God does. And we do. But—we need to love ourselves like God does too. For some, this is the more difficult thought.
God is loving toward us. He is kind. He is merciful. He is also just. He holds us accountable for sin, but He gives more grace.
New Beginning
If you’ve had any missteps in 2011 and you’re thinking, “Already I’ve failed!” let go of that thought. Don’t give up on the whole year. Be merciful to yourself. It’s only the beginning. You have plenty of time. Whatever it is you’re chasing, you’ll get it. Be patient with yourself. And above all, get up and try again.
Tomorrow is January 14—it’s not the first and it’s not the 15th and (heavens!) it’s a Friday, not a Monday—but it’s the perfect day for a new beginning. Be gracious. Be merciful. Give yourself the fresh start that God gives you every day!
Is this a hard concept for you? Do you think you view yourself at all like God does?