New Year. New Me?

                   This post is a little bit late for the new year, but we aren’t even two weeks into this thing yet so why not? First, let me clarify that I am not against making new year’s goals/resolutions. In fact, I make several myself. I’ve heard this phrase going around a lot recently, though. I’ve seen Instagram and Facebook posts talking about how you’re a whole new person since 12 am January first. I’ve also seen the posts about how people don’t change overnight. However, my opinion is somewhere in the middle. Let me explain what I mean.

     ​Do people change overnight? Not necessarily, but sometimes they can. Do all their habits change overnight? Absolutely not. I’ve heard habits take somewhere between two weeks and three months to break. Some may take longer than that depending on how long you’ve had them. You can’t break every bad habit you’ve ever had by simply choosing not to do it once. You must choose not to do that thing repeatedly until you eventually no longer have a desire to do it. But when did breaking this habit start? With the first time you chose not to do it. That’s why I believe people can sometimes change overnight. Your mindset can change in a moment. You suddenly realize things need to be different and you get the determination to change it. That doesn’t always take months to cultivate. Besides that, we serve a God who specializes in changing bad things in an instant. You may have a bad habit that you want to break this year. Did you know God could break that habit in one moment? Sometimes He chooses to let us work on changing ourselves to be more like Him, and other times He works a miracle in your heart. He may remove all the desires you had to do whatever it is you need to stop doing. 

Let me challenge you with this. Every year I pick a verse or verses and a phrase to be my “theme” for the year. This is not just something I randomly think up one day. I pray about it and when I feel like God has given me a theme to work on in the year ahead, I make a point to remember it and pray about it the rest of the year. Last year, my verse was James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” My theme phrase was “draw nigh.” You know what happened in 2019? God broke me. He purified me in some areas, and then He drew me closer to Him. This year I have chosen two verses. Proverbs 24:16, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief,” and Psalm 46:5, “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.” My theme this year will be “Rise Again.” My challenge to all of you is that you pray and ask God what He wants to do in you this year. What will you ask God to do in your life in 2020?