This article aims to open our understanding about what is necessary for us to achieve what God has for our lives.
Introduction.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassion of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your rational worship.
And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your understanding, that you may experience what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1,2”.
There is no shadow of doubt that every January 1st always marks the beginning of a new year in our calendar, but could that guarantee that something really new happens in our lives?
But what is the real meaning of this event, what difference does it make, how does the new happen?
Some take advantage of the previous day to reflect on their actions, the more emotional even cry when something touching comes to mind, although the great majority just hope it is really a new year, and they do so without any determination to change in fact, or correct the course of life.
The purpose here is not to be pessimistic, nor to be contrary to any desire for something new, but rather to make it evident that for any change to occur, we will need to change first.
It is normal to feel this desire for things to take a different turn, especially when they are not going well, and each one's will is usually intensified with the arrival of a new year. Some even think that the much-desired novelties will come anyway, and will happen as if by magic. Would they really be like that?
To experience the new, Worship and Holiness to God is required.
The holiness mentioned refers to dedication to Him, with good actions toward others in demonstration of divine love, as well as with the non-exhibition of the body, no lasciviousness, in short the body must be worthy for the God who is the Holy of Holies, without any reference to sensuality, for those who serve the Lord Jesus should be different, showing the difference in themselves.
The apostle Paul in Romans 12 begins first by beseeching, that is, imploring us to worship God, presenting to him rational worship with our bodies in living sacrifice, and that it be holy and acceptable.
Rational worship is worship with understanding, where we are aware of everything that is happening, no one would be beside themselves, nor out of control, doing any disorder, mess or uproar.
It is also said that it needs to be holy and acceptable. Well, on this point someone could be in doubt whether holiness should be in the body or in the worship, the answer is that the body must be holy so that worship consequently also is, and in that way both, body and worship would be holy, mainly because Our God, Jesus Christ is Holy and demands holiness in every way of living.
So that we experience, that is, so that we achieve the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God, requires renewal of understanding, living life in opposition to the world.
Paul speaks so that we do not conform to this world, and be transformed by the renewal of our understanding. This being a prerequisite so that we experience what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
We perceive from the text that if we want to achieve the New that God has for all of us, we need to start with the non-acceptance, or non-conformism, in relation to the situation of this world that goes from bad to worse, together with the renewal of our understanding. All of this must happen in our minds, which has the power to trigger the actions that are carried out by our bodies.
Confusion about the real meaning of having a renewed mind and understanding.
Some consider having a renewed mind when they open themselves to the offers and conditions imposed by the world, but in truth they are in opposition to biblical instructions, which instruct us not to conform and renew our understanding. This implies being open not to worldly impositions, but to the newness that God wants to do in our lives, naturally leading us to give up any standard contrary to the desires of Our Lord, and the acceptance of the New, following and obeying the terms of holiness defined by Him.
We know that all days are made by God, so that we may rejoice and be happy in them, for the mercies of Our Lord Jesus are the reason we are not consumed by this deceitful world, and are renewed each morning. In light of this, our minds must be alert each morning, so that our understanding is aligned with God's desires, in order for us to have the understanding of why one more day has been entrusted to us, and what we should do in each of them, always being before his will.
The fulfillment of our desires in relation to others will depend on their decisions and actions.
Celebrations are held, speeches expressing desires that the coming year be full of blessings are made, but it is worth remembering that the desire of others in relation to us, when true, can at most leave us excited, encouraged, however, there is an enormous distance between desiring and making it reality.
It is obvious that this cannot and should not prevent us from wishing the best for our neighbor, even knowing that the fulfillment of these wishes will depend on the posture of each one, facing the decisions they will need to make at every moment of their lives.
Time is precious, it passes quickly and does not wait for anyone, and knowing how to use it is the only way to be victorious in any area.
The fulfillment of dreams, the achievements of each one, will depend on how they use the time that is given to them, for all are given 24 hours every day, and taking advantage of each second of these hours will be what will determine victory or failure.
What have we done with the time that God has given us?
When we think about what happened during the 365 days and 6 hours of life that was entrusted to us by God, what is the feeling? Did we make it worthwhile for Him?
Our personal achievements could certainly make us happy, and there is no problem with that happiness, but did they also contribute to something for God's Kingdom, to what?
Why does God give us so much time, and allow us to live each day?
If we were to look from a selfish point of view, we could come to the conclusion that time is ours, and was granted to us only to fulfill our desires, achieve our dreams.
But when we look at God's Word, which shows God coming every late afternoon to talk and have contact with Adam and Eve in paradise, after having allowed them all day. We understand that the main desire of Our Lord is that we take advantage of every second of life granted to us, putting His Kingdom as the central focus, for we must give account of this time to Him.
See what God's Word tells us below:
“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:25-34”
The above text shows that our main concern should not be our earthly life, but God's Kingdom, and this applies even when we are working, and why we work, since everything we have does not belong to us, that is, life and everything we have is of God, and we will give account of it to Him, for each second wasted.
In the link below there is a study on what it means to seek first the Kingdom of God:
"seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness...", how to understand?
We cannot and should not wait for the year to end to reflect on wasted time.
Every day we need to reflect on whether we are living the gospel of Jesus Christ, if we are walking in accordance with his teachings.
We need to constantly question ourselves, how many have we helped over a day, a week, a month or a year.
Have we been examples for how many?
To how many have we preached?
Perhaps the answer to this is: “to many”, but then another question would arise: How many have we motivated to be disciples of Jesus? For often preaching is simple, the difficult part is living what we preach.
Jesus instructed us not only to preach, but also to make disciples: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations Matthew 28:19”
Why do many anguish on the last day of the year?
It is possible that many do not feel motivated to celebrate for having reached the last day of the year, and the reasons are varied.
We understand that because of frustrations, losses and even hopelessness, so many are those who see no reason to celebrate.
But what if they looked at themselves? And looking there at the emptiness, yes at the place that should be filled with the God of consolation, the Comforter Spirit, the Prince of Peace, and if they allowed themselves to be filled with the peace of this true God?
I am sure the situation would be totally different, for JESUS Himself said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27”.
Well this attitude would cause them to see new possibilities, regardless of what happened to them and around them in the whole year that is ending. They would see that there is still a chance and opportunity to make everything become new.
Can January 1st be a truly new year for you?
This answer does not depend on others, but on how much you really desire change.
When could we experience a year with everything new?
The entry on January 1st can certainly be a New Year, and for this it is necessary to make a decision, the greatest and most correct decision of any person, which consists of deciding not to be alone anymore, not to struggle alone anymore, to abandon the life of sin and reckless acts, to have life transformed, renewed.
This attitude will give the assurance that all the time the person will be supported and guarded by the Only God, Jesus Christ, the Sovereign Lord of Creation, who created us to always be together with Him, serving His Kingdom, for He Himself said to Joshua, but it applies to all of us, if we do so: “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:5-7”
Do we really need to wait for a change of calendar to change our actions and bring the much-desired new?
A real New Year does not depend only on a change of date, but on a change of attitude, because otherwise it will just be more of the same, a complete waste of time.
God's Word affirms that when there is repentance, conversion, transformation of life, the person gives himself the opportunity for rebirth, to start again towards eternal salvation.
For it is as it is written: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19”
We know that January 1st for some is nothing more than a calendar transition.
But for others, it is as if everything would really change overnight.
To thought sometimes comes a desire that everything really changes, in a simple way.
But why would it happen? What would be our contribution, and what would we learn from it?
The truth is that for God there is also a count, and each day we are closer to His coming, and either to the end of the life He granted us, to serve Him, and we must give account of everything we do through our body.
For those who have washed their garments in the blood of Jesus, at each calendar turn it is certain that the great desired encounter draws near the God Savior.
To those who are not firm with Jesus, especially for the older ones, each year that arrives, doubt and fear are increased even more regarding the unexpected, but certain great and terrible day of the Lord.
The right decision is not to decide alone.
Change does not happen automatically in anyone's life, because Our God grants everyone the right to decide what will become of their lives, without interference in decisions.
It is expected of people the right decision, which does not need to be made alone, but guided by the Holy Spirit of God, so that consequently there is an individual contribution and also learning, so that with it it is possible to help others in their uncertain matters.
We need to be taught to live, following the guidelines of God's Word.
Psalm 90 is a prayer of the Prophet Moses, see what glorious teaching.
“The days of our life reach seventy years, and if some, by their robustness, reach eighty years, their pride is weariness and tedium, for soon it is cut off and we fly away.
Do not waste your time, New Year begins with Renewed Life
Who knows the power of your wrath? According as you are tremendous, so is your fury.
Teach us to count our days, in such a way that we attain wise hearts. Psalms 90:10-12”
Life is indeed short, but we always need to be guided by God so that we can attain wise hearts, for the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
May God speak strongly to your heart, and may there always be the necessary transformation each day in all of us, so that we are constantly living God's New in our lives.