I’d like to invite you to think back to the day when you last purchased something new.  Perhaps it was a new car, a new pair of shoes, or even a new bag of potato chips.  Do you remember that “new car smell?”  Or the way your new shoes were so clean and bright?  And it’s always more fun to pull out the first whole potato chip, as opposed to reaching down in the bag for the last few crumbs!

What is it about something new?  It makes us feel happy and at times, it may even bring back fond childhood memories of a new bicycle or a new puppy or kitten to love.  As humans, we are not generally attracted to old, ugly, discarded pieces of merchandise.  While someone once said that “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” we can be assured that there are some pieces of trash that are just that: trash.  Still, we continuously find ourselves trying to sell this “trash” at yard sales, flea markets, and the like.  Or we may determine that something we own simply needs to be placed in the infamous “file 13.”  No matter how they get rid of the “junk,” people usually follow the old adage, “Out with the old and in with the new.”

Every 365 days, we are given something new: a new year.  Every year, we virtually are given the chance to hit the reset button.  We have the chance to live a fuller life, love a lot deeper, and laugh even harder.  A new year brings with it the opportunity to make amends with family or friends or spend more time with your parents, spouse, or children.  Yet, in our rush to get through another day, there are times when we simply stick to our old ways.

Likewise, there are times when we keep driving the same car, even though it’s broken down five times in the last week.  God may have even sent the money for the down payment on a new car, but we keep putting it off until next week.  And those new shoes in the closet never get worn because they’re not “broken in” yet.  So, we continue wearing our ragged pair instead.  Then we can hardly finish our work day because of the pain in our feet from the worn out soles that offer no support.

Similarly, you may already be ignoring the New Year.  Instead of using this fresh start as a reset button, you may be continuing to live as before.  You might be living in fear, feeling unloved, or struggling with no hope in sight.  You may have plans to give God your life next week, next month, or next year.  Your old life is “broken in” and while it has its flaws, a life with God may seem even more uncomfortable, much like a new pair of shoes.  Yet, a life with God will be clean and bright, filled with God’s amazing unconditional love and grace.

God often opens doors for us in our lives.  He may open the door to a better paying job, a new home, or a new family.  He may even open the door to a new life with God at the center.  When God opens a door, He gives us the choice as to whether or not we will walk through it.  If we just stand there on the wrong side of the door, nothing will change.  But if we take that first step across the threshold, everything changes.

God’s Word says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).  This is the first day of 2013.  Don’t wait any longer to begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  He will restore your hope, fill you with joy, and mend your broken heart.  Throw out the old, ugly parts of your life and replace them with new, joyous ones.  Take that first step.  Walk through the door.  Embrace this New Year by beginning a new life in Christ.

In Christ’s Love,

Jennifer