GRACE ANCHORED JOURNEY

The serenity and peace that transcended through the beautiful sceneries of the places that I had been these past days left my soul in awe of God’s creation. Such a good way to relieve the stress that I had because of the uncertainties of last year tagged as the pandemic year. Yet all of the nightmares that 2020 has brought to us came to pass. The ugly memories are now part of the history.

Today is a new year. A new start. A new journey. A new chapter that’s waiting to be written. I believed that what happened last year was unexpected. Many if not all, were caught off guard. But like what I said, everything was just a history. We will now start our new journey. Perhaps a lot of us pray that this year may be a good year after the bad one. Let’s put those ugly memories behind and start afresh.

In recent years, as I have always done my new year’s resolution, I have realized that most of them were just pieces of words joined together to form a statement. Most often than not, I remember those new year’s resolutions only during the first quarter of the year. With the succeeding months, nothing was ever followed. “Is there any good about doing new year’s resolution like many others do?” I asked myself. Though it seems that there’s none, I would still do it to serve as my guidance the whole year. Then lately, I realized that the reason why those resolutions never materialized is that I tend to do it on my own.

How can we start our year right?

1. Start it with God. There’s nothing much better than to start our year with God. As we start our year, new beginnings await us. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Such a very encouraging verse to start our year, isn’t it?

The realization that God has a plan for us is unfathomable. Who are we that He is mindful of us? We might not see it right away. Yet if we trust Him, we will not worry about what this year may bring. We are safe in His hands. Focusing on this truth will help us align ourselves to do the right things rather than spending our time and energy chasing the wrong things.2.

2. Give thanks. Give thanks in everything because it is the will of God for us (1 Thessalonians 5:18). The fact that we are able to celebrate the coming of the year reminds us that we are still alive and standing still. This alone is enough to give thanks and praise the Lord for He sustains. Giving thanks to God enables us to remember those many blessings that He has showered us. This would help us see that amidst those trials and struggles, His faithfulness still prevailed. And here we are, waiting for the unfolding of another year. Our acknowledgment of His favor and blessings compels us to have a positive spirit to face this year with gratitude because we know that no matter what we encounter (again), He is with us. He will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

3. Set our goals and plan our year ahead. There was a time when I became confused about planning and letting God do the work. I like planning so much. I want everything to be organized and be executed properly. But some told me not to plan and just trust God. It may sound true sometimes, but the Word of God never undermine planning.

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” Luke 14:28

Planning and setting goals are wise and practical. Through planning, we will be able to count the cost. Through setting goals, we are able to determine the realistic things that we can do. One of the couples that I follow on Social Media is Joy and Edric Mendoza. Recently, they shared how they sat down together and planned their expenses throughout the year. They listed all their possible expenses and how they should spend their money for the glory of the Lord.

So, planning and setting goals aren’t necessary disregarding the Lord. But the Scripture reminds us to “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established” (Proverbs 16:3). Planning and setting our goals outside God will be deemed unfruitful and that makes it wrong. However, if those things are to be committed to the Lord, it will be a wise thing to do.

How do we want this year to bring honor to God? What can we do to serve Him more? How can we be a better Christians compared to last year?

To end this, I would like to quote a pastor who once said, “Our Christian life is not a hit and miss.” God is the God of order and peace. Our lives must be a reflection of the God whom we serve.

Above all, never forget that prayer is a must in our Christian journey.

How do you plan to start and end your year? I hope that you will take time to ponder as the year starts to roll. May we desire to start and end this year right!