Part of the human condition is to mark our lives by a series of events. We tend to use births, deaths, new jobs, old cars, anything to mark our lives like landmarks. It is all association with us, to remember life based upon what was happening at the time. Perhaps that is why Jan 1st gets so much attention. It represents both a beginning and an end to things that are beyond our control, the perfect moment for another landmark. It offer us a clean slate and a new chance to lose weight, change jobs, start a family, or whatever else is on our minds. Conversely, it also offers a new chance at failure. While the first two weeks may go great, usually these New Year's resolutions are broken rather quickly and we find ourselves headed into February feeling like the year has been a failure already. In a way, we set ourselves up for disappointment.
God, on the other hand, never told His people to dwell on some sort of time frame. Never, in the Bible, does it give approximate ages marriage, starting careers, owning a home, or becoming successful. God doesn't give time lines for these types of things or even guarantee that they are inevitable. The Bible tells us simply that we live and we will die; He explains that our days are "even a vapor" (James 4:14) and exhorts that we should "remember now they Creator in the days of they youth, while it is well with thee" (Ecc. 12:1). We as humans may set our landmarks around "big" events, like New Year's, hoping that we may – from this or that point – begin afresh, but God has given us this blessed assurance: His compassion's and mercies are "new every morning" (Lam. 3:23) and that our "inward man is renewed day by day" (II Cor. 4:16).
God, in His infinite wisdom, knows the frailty of humanity; that long term goals and "big" resolutions can overpower our will, and humiliate our efforts. At the end of our days we are left with nothing more than unaccomplished goals and the feelings of failure. Perhaps, this is the reason that God doesn't teach us to look at our year as a whole, but as a day by day journey to the eventual, and desired end. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Cor. 6:2) Every single day that we live is another chance to have a fresh start. If we failed yesterday, it doesn't matter. The slate is clean and God promised us that His mercies are renewed every morning. We can wake up and give it all to God; all of our cares, worries, failures . . . everything we are or hope to become. God doesn't go by Jan 1st as a starting point to create us anew, but rather, Jesus prayed: "Give us day by day our daily bread." (Luke 11:3)
While this promise is eternal, we are not. Simple statistics dictate that some won't live to see another sun rise. Suddenly, without warning, today is their last chance. Today may not feel any different, but for them it is. As they go through the day, they are unwittingly making decisions for the last time. Some are choosing wisely while others make eternal mistakes.
None of us are promised tomorrow, all we have is today. Today we are making decisions that will effect the rest of our lives (and our eternities). We don't need Jan 1st as a landmark to begin a new life. Our new lives started the moment the sun rose, God's mercies were new, and our inward man was renewed. "This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). |
