A New Chapter (Part 1): Starting With A Clean Slate
Photo courtesy of Cody Hiscox
abide
If there was an ideal time to hit the ground running, the beginning of a new year seems like the right starting point. Or at least that’s been the case in previous years. But after the black-hole experience of 2020, it’s not as easy to pick yourself up.
2020 may technically be over, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely past it. Think of how you get used to writing the same year on everything. For 365 days, every signature that you date is done the same exact way. The habit becomes so ingrained that it becomes difficult to not let last year bleed into this year. In the same way, there are certain tendencies in our lives that we can’t afford to carry over.
Looking back on this past year, there were too many moments where life felt like it was drifting by. So much had been taken on that a chronic “overwhelmedness” set in. Things often appeared to be moving in a positive direction on the outside, but on the inside, it felt like a prison.
What do you do when things have drifted that direction?
You can go with the knee-jerk response & try to fix it yourself. But that means you’re ultimately putting your trust in the same person that got you to this point. Which means the solution requires looking beyond yourself. Embracing the fact that real change doesn’t come from an ability, but from a—
willingness to give it to god.
In John 15:5 (NIV), Jesus shares the following:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain [abide] in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
There are two choices that lead to two completely different outcomes. We can choose to continue in our own way, which ultimately amounts to nothing (fruitlessness). Or we can choose to go God’s way, and embrace the change that we know we need.
Jesus reminds us that our resolutions should be rooted in eternity. Because even though this world wasn’t made to last—we were. It’s time to live with imperishable priorities, pursuing the things & the people that really last. And the only way that happens is by—
Abiding in Him.
good with god
Most of us live with really good intentions. The problem is, even though we intend to get a lot of things right, we end up doing a lot of things wrong. Ironically, sometimes the strongest intentions set us up for the biggest pitfalls.
Why is that?
Because good intentions are ideas. And an idea that never develops practical steps is really just wishful thinking. At the end of the day, we don’t credit people for their ability to lead by intention, but by example. Ultimately—
we’re defined by our actions.
Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT) says:
“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
We need to replace our “good intentions” with God intentions. To be directed through a filter that says, whatever I set out to do, it’s going to be done unto Him. The One whose name carries all the spiritual authority we need in this life & beyond. The One whose name is above every name.
the name of Jesus.
Unlike the Pharisees in Jesus’ day, we’re not going to be hyper-focused on “cleaning the outside of the cup”. Instead, we’re going to diligently seek God in helping us with the inside. Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) tells us:
“The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
That’ll be our focus in the next several posts. To allow the Spirit of God to lead us through our flaws. To produce a heart in us—
that matches his.
a clean slate
We all live with a premise, a fundamental basis for doing what we do in life. And while the “new year” offers us a good reason to start fresh, God provides one that’s even better. 1 Corinthians 1:31 (MSG) says:
"Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Christ Jesus.”
See God doesn’t just give us a premise, but solidifies it with a promise. His promise is that we truly receive a clean slate & fresh start when Jesus is the Lord of our life. That’s why putting Jesus first is the single-greatest resolution you can make for this year & for the rest of your life.
Time & again God assures us that when He begins a good work in us, HE is faithful to see it through. This is the year to let God’s faithful hand deliver an even deeper level of change to your life. This is the year to let go of your premise and—
Embrace His promise.
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today’s Takeaways
we’re defined by our actions.
Allow God to produce a heart in you that matches his
God’s promise > Our Premise