Is the New Year just another holiday for you, or is it a time of deep reflection on both the past year and the one ahead? New Year’s has no unique significance for followers of Jesus. Although there’s no central Biblical narrative prescribing celebrations, we can pause and reflect on the turning of the calendar.
Moses asked of the Lord, “Teach us to number our days so we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Time—seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years—is a gift to us from a good God. Living by the Spirit’s power is to wisely follow Him, redeeming our time, as indicated in Ephesians 5:16.
New Year’s can also remind us of the new birth. In a sense, each day with Jesus provides a chance to turn the page on an old way of life and embrace a new one. We are, after all, new creation people, and we serve a King who renews us daily through the Holy Spirit. Let me share a few important considerations to commence the new year well:
Christ-centered:
In a cursed and tumultuous world, creation itself reflects God’s great faithfulness. Every new season serves as a testimony, a signpost, to grace. The proper response to the past year, whether good or bad, is not merely “I made it through” or “Look what I achieved,” but rather, “Thank you, Lord.”
Clarity:
How can we begin new plans and journeys in 2024 without first allowing His light to penetrate the darkness of our hearts and to reveal areas in need of growth? How can we start hustling, working and dreaming without renewing our joy in the One who directs our steps? Jesus is the light of the world and wants to be the light of our personal world.
Consecration:
New Year’s should also be a time of renewing old commitments, like marriage, family and church. Before we begin grand plans to lose weight or develop a new skill—good creational goals—let’s begin by renewing the core commitments we already have. Commitments to marriage, family and church don’t always look or feel significant. But faithfulness in these core things over a long period is a radical, countercultural life. They form the habits of a disciple and show the world what it looks like to be a Christian.
Confidence:
New Year’s should be a time to rest. First, we rest in the reality of our identity in Christ. We may have failed to meet our goals in 2023. Jesus still loves us, despite our failures, unchecked boxes and disappointment at the scale. The gospel tells us that He loves us in the midst of these. Second, we should plan to physically rest. We don’t often do this on New Year’s. We plan to work and hustle. But do we schedule time to reflect and acknowledge our need for sleep and leisure? Rest isn’t a sign of laziness or weakness; it’s a sign of spiritual strength and confidence that when we close our eyes, our lives are in the grip of a sovereign God. To sleep is to say that we’re not God and that the world can go on without us.
So, as we make our plans for 2024, let’s remember that even in our failures, we serve the One who “… remembers our frame and knows we are dust” Psalm 103:14. We make plans, but we hold them lightly. We entrust our future, not to a paper or digital calendar or a reading list, but to the King who holds the world in his hands.
Happy New Year with Jesus!