New Year New Opportunities

Coming to the end of a year, and the beginning of a new one, many of us set New Year’s resolutions, hoping to make positive life changes.
It can be helpful to reflect on what has been and to consider future plans.
In fact, according to Proverbs (3:5-6,16:3;9), the wise person sets goals and prepare for the future.

These verses are a reminder from God, telling us to give Him all our plans and worries. It’s like God is saying to us, “Trust me with your life, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
And this isn’t just about the big dreams we have, but also about the small choices we make every day.

In a world that tells us that we can do whatever we want, whenever we want, however we want, under our own strength, we should find this reminder from God a comfort.

The weight and burden people place upon themselves to succeed in everything they do can and does lead to increased worry, stress, anxiety, burnout and more.

For Christians, the idea is that we completely give our plans to God in dependence upon Him. When we commit our work to the Lord, we offer everything we do completely to Him.

When we fully depend on God in all we do and live according to His ways in complete dependence on Him, we can generally expect that He will bless our efforts.
This does not mean we will never have trouble in our lives or that God will give to us everything we want in the way we expect it!
Rather, we can expect God to fulfill His promise of Romans 8:28, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

As we embrace the possibilities of this new year, let’s hold onto the wisdom found in Proverbs, allowing it to guide our actions and intentions.

Sandee Batelic