It’s a new year! What is your response? Positive or negative? “Yippee!” “Ho-hum.” “I’m excited!” “Just another day.” Responses to anything new, including a different number on the yearly calendar, vary widely from person to person.
Some new things in our lives are certainly worthy of unfettered excitement and joy. The birth of a child or grandchild. A new job that holds a lot of promise. A new relationship that seems full of potential for solid friendship or lifelong romantic love. A new opportunity in business, travel, or a hobby. We appreciate new things, especially when the downside or challenge seems low.
But what about the new things that are more challenging? A renewed commitment to a marriage that is faltering. A job that has been seriously impacted by economic circumstances or mismanagement within the organization. An unexpected revealing of a hidden weakness within oneself or even more publicly. A desire to improve some aspect of life (New Year's resolutions, anyone?). Some new things require a lot more energy, focus, and even patience to accomplish. It’s more like climbing a mountain than coasting down a hill.
But newness must include change. And many changes are good. In fact, as Christians we must insist that God continue to make changes in our lives. This is the essence of repentance, which is central to our life with God and one another. We trust Him to mold and shape us to look more like Him. Sometimes this sanctification process is easy, and even enjoyable, as we lean into new opportunities for which we are well-equipped, or dive deeper into the depths of God's love and grace for us. Other parts of this process are much more difficult, as we surrender parts of ourselves to God that are unhealthy in repentance, or even let loved ones go. Change isn’t always easy, but in the hands of God, it can be a powerful force for growth and goodness in our lives.
In the midst of so many things that constantly change, it’s good to know there are some things that don’t change. There’s a passage in Lamentations that communicates beautifully the truth of God‘s unchanging care for us: “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, ‘The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him’” (3:22-24, CSB). “Great is Thy Faithfulness” consistently ranks as one of Western Christianity's favorite hymns, and its popularity can be attributed in large part to the promises contained in this verse. When a new day dawns and the change from night to day is almost complete, we still have the steadfast and unchanging love, grace, mercy, and joy that God promises us each day.
Our world is changing. Your life is changing. What will happen in the midst of those changing circumstances is uncertain. But you can find comfort in the fact that the unchanging, unchangeable God, Who made you, Who went to the cross for you, Who continues to love and shape you, will not change. So how is God calling you to lean into healthy changes this year? How is He beckoning you to walk in His footsteps, to follow His path, to be more like Him? It’s a lifetime journey, and yet when we take moments to examine where we are on the path, and how God’s grace and care has attended us each step of the way, we are often delighted to rediscover that…
Adventure is (still) out there!
Pastor Aaron