Going From ‘Auld Acquaintances’ to New Opportunities

“So, what’s new?” When’s the last time someone asked you that? It’s a valid conversation starter. But it’s embarrassing if nothing comes to mind.

 

There’s an excitement that usually accompanies the idea of ‘new.’ Think about the experience of getting a new car. If you’re a traveler, being able to go someplace you’ve never been before. A new job, especially if you’ve felt stuck in your old one, can reenergize us. New clothes, a new smartphone, a new house – even a new book – can bring smiles to our faces.

 

Just days into the new year, we still have the opportunity to revel in the new: a new beginning, a fresh start. A phrase in Latin, tabula rasa, means ‘blank slate.’ Do you want a tabula rasa? Even if last year was a good one, we can hope this new year will be even better. In some ways the beginning of a new year seems like receiving a surprise gift – we can’t wait to see what’s inside.

 

Did you know that God is all about beginnings, too? We see it throughout the Bible from its very beginning. Its first sentence reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). How’s that for a splashy beginning? The next verse tells us it had been the original blank slate: “Now the earth was formless and empty.…” 

 

We might compare this to a painter’s blank canvas, or a sculptor’s block of granite that hasn’t yet felt the first tap of a chisel. Just multiply this by billions, even zillions of times. 

 

The Creation account proceeds to tell us about God creating light, separating it from the darkness; skies and seas; the earth, vegetation and all living things; the sun and the stars – the universe in its entirety. Think about it: Even the most creative artist or composer starts with something – things that he or she has learned or held, seen or heard – but the Lord created absolutely everything out of absolute nothingness. It stretches our own imagination to the breaking point.

 

But the opening chapter of Genesis isn’t the only place we read about God’s delight in new beginnings. The gospel of John opens with the words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:1-2), clearly referring to Jesus Christ. This means Jesus didn’t suddenly appear 2,000 years ago with His incarnation, the event we just celebrated. 

 

The second member of the Trinity was right there in the very beginning of time, actively participating in the Creation. We know this because John 1:3 declares, “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.” Another of the apostle John’s writings offers this perspective: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1).

 

So, the excitement and enthusiasm many of us feel about the start of a new year is shared by the Lord, to a much greater, more profound extent. Because the Scriptures tell us His greatest work, His most important ‘fresh start,’ is what He accomplishes in human hearts like yours and mine.

 

Two of my favorite verses affirm this. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we find this amazing promise: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” In God’s divine plan, far more than a new year, His focus is on creating a new you. Galatians 2:20 expands on this, stating, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  In Christ we can have new life.

 

For those who have been convicted of their brokenness, realizing it’s impossible to overcome on our own what the Bible calls our “sinful nature,” the Lord offers victory once and for all, by being “born again,” as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3.

 

But what about those of us who have experienced new life, but for whatever reason have grown stale or find ourselves in spiritual doldrums? Kind of like the church at Ephesus, described in Revelation 2:4 as having “lost your first love.” Do we need to become born again…again?

The Scriptures instruct us that along with new beginnings, God is eager to offer us re-beginnings, spiritual renewal that everyone needs from time to time. We see this in Isaiah 40:31 which asserts that, “…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

 

If this is where we find ourselves, in desperate need of renewal, some initiative on our part is necessary. Romans 12:2 admonishes, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

 

As we train our thoughts to focus on the Lord and His truth, then we can trust He will answer for us the prayer of King David: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me…. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:10-12).

 

Whether we need a totally new beginning or a fresh start for this new year, Jehovah Jireh – the God who provides – is posed to respond.

Taking a Deep Breath and Making a Fresh Start

We’re still in the nascent moments of the new year, so it feels like all things are possible. Those things we planned to do last year? Maybe we can accomplish them this year. That troublesome habit we wrestled with last year? We can overcome it this year. That rut we seemed to be stuck in last year? This can be the year we finally extricate ourselves from it and start making some important changes in our lives.

 

In actuality, the transition from 2021 to 2022 was a simple turn of the page on our calendars, but it does seem new, doesn’t it? Kind like starting a new job or moving to a new town. Everything seems fresh and exciting, bubbling over with potential.

 

Experience has taught us, however, the “new car smell” of the new year wears off quickly, so if we plan to make changes, or move forward with the pursuit of long-cherished hopes and dreams, now would be a great time to get started. We don’t need to get it accomplished all at once, but as someone has said, a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.

Among many important and meaningful things about a growing spiritual life is the assurance that we don’t need to spend a lot of time clearing away old messes. God isn’t telling us, “Clean up your act first, and then maybe I can do something with you.” In fact, it’s just the opposite. When we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and submit to His authority, He promises to give us a fresh start: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

 

This passage, as simple as it sounds, can be hard to accept. Even if we have received the gift of eternal life, forgiveness, and redemption through Christ, it often seems like we’re still the same old folks we were before we met Him. After discovering this verse, I remember thinking to myself, ‘How can I be a new creation when I seem like the same old knucklehead I’ve always been?’ This is where it’s important to act according to faith and not feelings. Over time I learned it’s necessary to live on the basis of God’s promises, not our own shortcomings.

 

Another verse I’ve cited before affirms this truth: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Even though there are times when it doesn’t seem like the Spirit of Jesus Christ is living in me, I need to trust that this is true and act accordingly – allowing Him to express His life in me and through me.

 

The Bible affirms that our Creator God is all about making things new, even today. Both the Old and New testaments make this abundantly clear. In one of the prophetic books, He declared, “See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you” (Isaiah 42:9).

 

In the next chapter the Lord declares, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs us; do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19), and later in the same book He announces, “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17). God specializes in restoration and regeneration.

 

One of the psalms opens with, “Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him…. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel, all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Psalm 98:1-3).

 

And in one of the closing chapters of the Scriptures we read, “He who was seated on the throne [God] said, ‘I am making everything new! Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’” (Revelation 21:5).

 

When the Bible opens, we see God doing a new thing – creating the heavens and the earth, and everything in them. At the end of His Word we see He is still busy doing the same thing, making all things new. He’s never stopped doing that.

So, as we ponder the possibilities and potential for this new year, hoping to make a fresh start, perhaps with some dramatic changes, we can trust we don’t have to do it alone. The One who makes all things new has promised to work in us and through us to empower us to do the same. 

A New Leaf – Or a New Life?

An old phrase we sometimes still hear concerns “turning over a new leaf.” This cliché, which apparently dates back to the 1500’s, alludes to the turning from one page (or leaf) of a book – the old-fashioned, paper kind – to a new one. Of course, these days when people talk of turning over a new leaf, they’re not making reference to a book – paper or Kindle version – but rather to beginning again, reforming, or making a fresh start.

People turning over a new leaf in their lives might desire to overcome an addiction, a behavioral problem, even a lack of motivation at work. Leave the old page behind and move onto a new one; start afresh.

Are you feeling a need to turn over a new leaf?

Have you ever tried to do this, turning over a new leaf in some area of your life? It might be as simple as deciding to quit watching so much TV or as urgent as trying to overcome a recurring, relationship-damaging struggle with anger. At the start of every year many of us make resolutions or set goals to turn over a new leaf and start doing – or stop doing – things we were not able to accomplish the year prior.

One common misconception about the Christian faith is that it requires taking a similar initiative – to turn over a new leaf spiritually speaking and attempt to clean up our act. That’s not the way it works, however, according to the Scriptures.

Two Bible passages I initially encountered years ago troubled me for some time. One of them said, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). I thought, “How can this be true – at least for me? I don’t feel like a new creation. I’m still the same old knucklehead I’ve always been. Don’t tell me the old has gone – it sure seems like it’s still here. I’ve been trying to change, but it’s not happening!”

Another verse offered a similar idea, showing my understanding from the other passage wasn’t misconstrued: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Nowhere do these verses direct the reader to “clean up your act,” or even “turn over a new leaf.” They talk about literal, spiritual renewal, orchestrated by God and not our own intentions. My efforts to change my own life, to undo lifelong patterns of wrong thinking and behavior, were as productive as trying to purify a piece of spoiled beef by wiping it off with a paper towel.

Recently I heard an observation by Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, about personal evangelism. He pointed out too often the focus of evangelistic efforts is to invite people to attend a church service or get them to join a particular congregation. That’s not what we’re called to be about as followers of Jesus, according to Stetzer. He stated ours is “not mission of recruitment, but mission of reconciliation.”

He cited 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (not far from one of the bothersome verses I cited above), which says, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were working his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

In one sense, that’s deep theology. But in another way of looking at it, it’s quite simple. As an old friend of mine used to say, “Jesus took the rap for me.” But He didn’t stop there. Jesus also offered us new life, the capacity to live the life God demands – but in His strength, not ours.

“Apart from Me, you can do nothing,” Jesus told His followers in John 15:5. And as the apostle Paul affirmed in Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through (Christ) who strengthens me.”

Yes, it might be necessary for us to turn over a new leaf. But we need to understand that Jesus Christ is our leaf-turner.

Beginnings . . . and Endings

Not long ago I read a statement many of us should take to heart: “Nobody can start a new beginning, but you can start today and make a new ending.”

I don’t remember the quotation’s source, but virtually all of us can look in the rearview mirror of our lives and see things we wish we could change. Some of us would like a fresh start, a clean slate, a complete “do-over.” Maybe star on a new reality show, “Extreme Do-over: Life Edition.”

Unfortunately, no one can do that. Time machines haven’t been invented (although writers like H.G. Wells have imagined them), so we can’t go back and try to fix past wrongs. Even if there were time machines, who knows if we could rectify anything?

Actions and decisions of days and years gone by are set, and sometimes consequences remain – accumulated debts, broken relationships, damaged health, disrupted careers. We can’t just go back to “START” and try again.

But we can determine today to create a new ending, one that looks very different from the way things seem to be heading.

Forgetting what lies behind, we need
to envision how our finish line should look.

Physically, we can stop procrastinating and undertake that exercise program we’ve been thinking about. We can start eating better. If necessary, we can start following the doctor’s orders.

Relationally, we can try to rebuild relationships. We can apologize, or ask forgiveness. We can dedicate the time and energy needed to bring about healing and reconciliation.

Financially, we can make an honest assessment of where we are, where we would like to be, and determine what steps are necessary to get there – even asking for help if needed.

Vocationally, we can quit complaining about our present job status and explore ways for making improvements, even if it means changing careers. It might require taking a risk, stepping outside our comfort zone – especially if that “comfort zone” is spelled MISERY. We can begin learning what we need to know, whether through books, online study, being mentored, or attending classes.

And some of us need to start today and make a new ending spiritually. That’s often the important first step in making the changes already mentioned. The curse of humanity is we all want to be our own gods. We want to determine our own destiny, captain our own ship, apart from God’s scrutiny and involvement. But when life is spiraling out of control, maybe we need to ask ourselves, “How’s that working for you?”

The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This says we can have a new beginning – spiritually – and receive the assurance of a new ending.

If you have experienced this, you already understand. If you haven’t, maybe today is your day to start making a new ending.