NEW BEGINNINGS

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  

Today is the first day of the rest of my life—a new beginning. 

The idea of new beginnings permeates our culture.  We have expressions like, “Tomorrow’s a new day” when things aren’t going well, or “I’ve turned over a new leaf” when speaking of a new direction in our lives.

There are new beginnings that mark off time, such as the beginning of a new year, a new day, or a new season.

There are new beginnings that mark off events, such as our birth into this world—the beginning of our existence—and all the beginnings that come as a part of growing up. We talk about ‘new chapters’ in our lives—when we graduate from school, a new job, marriage, birth of children, or moving to a new location.

There are new beginnings in our thoughts—things we learn that significantly affect our beliefs and attitudes.

Most new beginnings have a forward-looking aspect to them—an opportunity—an anticipation of what is to come—the hope of something better. 

Sometimes a new beginning brings fear or dread or sorrow—the loss of a job, an accident, a natural disaster, a difficult illness, or the death of a loved one.

Sometimes new beginnings ‘fizzle.’  They don’t turn out the way we had hoped or expected.  We’re disappointed and seek for something else.  The new becomes old and we move on—just as the old year ends and a new year begins, and the sun sets on a finished day and rises on a new day.  No new beginning is permanent.

In some respects, we’re all seeking for a new beginning that brings lasting satisfaction, but through the hard knocks of life we often despair of ever finding it.  We hunger for a new beginning we can’t really identify. 

The good news is that there is a new beginning that does exist and it is far greater than anything we ever anticipated or expected.  Many people, however, miss it—they are looking for it in the wrong place, may be misinformed so they reject it, or simply choose not to believe it.

Don’t miss out.  This year could be a new beginning in a personal relationship with the God of the universe—the God of the Bible—a new beginning that doesn’t end.  And each of us can wake up each morning with the thought, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life—not just life on this earth, but life for the rest of eternity in the presence of the Living God.”