New life



                It’s New Year’s Eve, a day when many of us perform a retrospective of our year and evaluate what went right and what went wrong.  We resolve to make productive changes to improve our health, our lifestyles, our finances and so on.  Typically, the motivation to change does not last. Health clubs enjoy increased attendance for a couple weeks. The house stays clean and tidy for a while. The savings account fattens slightly only to be thinned out again when the holiday bills hit the mailbox.
                This may sound like a defeatist attitude although I prefer the term realist.  2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come .The old has gone, the new is here!” While today is highlighted for such retrospective, as Christians, we know that every day is a new day, a new opportunity to serve the Lord with gladness. Serving God is not just about feeding the homeless and caring for those in obvious need. Serving God does include those things and it includes caring for the blessings he has already given us.
                It’s true, we will screw up. But we should not dwell on the screw up. We need to recognize it, ask for forgiveness and move forward confident in the love of Christ and his forgiveness. To repent means to turn around. When we repent of our sins we turn away from them and walk in a new direction. Moving forward does mean we make the necessary adjustments to repair our ways. May we all resolve to love; love God, love each other and love ourselves. We don’t love ourselves in a narcissistic way but in a way that yields a productive life that touches other lives.
            This is my New Year’s blessing for all, from Colossians 3:13-15 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

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