As the new year unfolds, all of us want our year to be “happier” than the previous one. Based on Scriptural advice, here are three keys to help you experience a happier new year:
One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14, NKJV).
1. Leave the Past Behind
While we may have difficulty “forgetting” the past, we can all choose to learn from it and leave it behind. We can ask Jesus to help us cut our losses, heal our wounds, and remove any unwanted baggage from the previous year. Foolish mistakes, wrong decisions, or harmful habits/attitudes can all be swept away–if we will learn from them and allow Jesus to recycle them into future, positive actions.
In some cases, the consequence of past errors will follow us. But we don’t have to let those consequences imprison our attitudes or our future. As believers, we have been granted unconditional forgiveness. God has placed our sins “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12, NKJV).
As followers of Jesus, the Son of God, we have accepted Jesus’ death on the Cross as the penalty for our sins. As believers, sin breaks our fellowship with God temporarily, but not our relationship as His eternal children. Besides that, sinning as believers should break our hearts and move us quickly back into the restorative arms of our Father.
In the Philippians passage above, the apostle Paul is not just talking about leaving painful things behind. Earlier in the chapter, he referred to his pre-believer, misguided zeal of persecuting Christians. Transformed by Jesus, he made a complete turnaround and followed Christ for the rest of his life (Acts 9).
But he also chose to put behind him any “credentials” that might elevate his ego: his education, status, successes, and achievements–things that he once thought as important but now considered inferior–and anything that might take away from his purpose to “live for Christ” (Philippians 1:21) Paul could have also mentioned his numerous, difficult challenges: being shipwrecked, imprisoned falsely, stoned, beaten, persecuted, and in perilous situations repeatedly. He refused to let the past (or any unpleasant circumstance) dictate his future or his contentment.
Refuse to let the past define you. Instead, allow Jesus to refine you.
2. Embrace the Future
“Reaching forward,” or embracing the new year allows you to choose a positive response toward what is ahead of you, instead of focusing on what is behind you. All of us can get stuck in the past if we allow our enemy to attack us emotionally or spiritually with thoughts like, “Look what you did!” “You don’t really matter!” “Why try, anyway? You’ll just fail again.” That’s never the voice of Jesus.
As long as you have breath and life, you are capable of believing the best, and of letting hope influence your attitudes and future. God is still the God of the impossible. He not only wants to transform us daily; He promises to finish the work He started in us (Philippians 1:6). Paul, too, testified to the power of Christ: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV).
Some days you may question what to do–or what Jesus is doing. But faith keeps going, reaching, and believing that Jesus is in control. Embracing the future means welcoming whatever Jesus wants in our lives in order to make us more like Him.
What’s keeping you from embracing the future? Maybe no one but you. Reach forward prayerfully with confidence and hope. Celebrate every step, every victory, and every moment Jesus gives you. He will never fail you.
3. Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
“Press toward the goal.” In a sense, the “goal” is Jesus. But even more, as we keep our eyes on Him, we will uncover and discover the life for which we were made and the purpose for which we were created. Living for Jesus, allowing Him to live through us, and hearing God’s “well done” as we finally arrive at our eternal home is a prize unlike any other.
As we live to give Him glory, not ourselves, Jesus will constantly “teach us what is best for us” (Isaiah 48:17). And as we run our race toward the goal, He will reward our faith constantly with the peace of His presence and the same joy that was set before Him.
Running our race with eyes fixed on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith, is the way to make every year a happier one.
The choice is ours.
My Personal Prayer for You
Lord Jesus, as we begin this new year, help us indeed to leave the past behind, to embrace the future You have designed for us, and to keep our eyes constantly on You. Protect us from those who would attempt to pull us away from the goal set before us or who try to turn us away from following You. When we don’t know what to do, our eyes are on You. Thank You for second chances, for unconditional love and forgiveness, and for another new year in which to live and serve and bring You glory.
Day-votedly Yours,
Rebecca
You might also enjoy this post and Bible promise for the New Year:
And here’s a glimpse of a longer New Year Prayer and some lessons I learned that you might enjoy reading: Although I wrote this about lessons from 2020 during the heat of the COVID pandemic, God is still teaching me some of the same lessons. And we’ve all experienced more losses, disappointments, and broken dreams. But we’ve also received mega blessings and sweet joys along the way. Life is full of both.
Want More Help Making a New Start?
Start your year off right with a new devotional book designed to deepen your intimacy with God. Whatever need you are facing, your faithful Father is waiting to meet that need. Day-votions® with Your Faithful Father: 90 Days with the One Who Wants to Meet All Your Needs will show you how to find that intimacy and discover how faithful God can be. He longs to meet your needs and is waiting for you to experience His faithfulness!
It’s Your Turn
Which key needs more work for you? How will you allow Jesus to make this year a happier one for you? I’d love to hear from you anytime. You can always write me through my contact page. Just fill out the basic name and address info, and then it will come to me. Your name or info is not shared with anyone.
Share This Post With Others
Using the share buttons on this blog post or from my Facebook profile page, please feel free to share about my website or this blog post with others in your social media circles so we can work together in encouraging others toward intimacy with God. Please do not reproduce any of my blog posts without express and written permission from me.
If you haven’t signed up for my weekly posts and newsletter updates, remember to do so soon. I think you’ll enjoy the complimentary ebook that you’ll receive when you sign up. You can also follow me on Goodreads, and if you are visual, like me, you can follow my boards on Pinterest.
