We are already embarking upon another turn of the calendar page and the year 2023! Although we can make changes in our lives any day, any moment, a new year on our calendar offers a time to think back on the previous year and take a minute to reflect on how we lived and what we did (or did not do) in the past twelve months.
What do we rejoice in…or regret? What was accomplished, or what would we have done differently if we had the opportunity to do it over?
So many times we purpose with great hope and expectation to be better, live better, accomplish more in the year ahead. That is admirable, good, ambitious. But let us not forget the plans of the Lord for our lives and let us remember that without His leading and direction, our work will not have the full effect we so desire. Even with all of our good intentions, without Jesus we can accomplish nothing that is worth pouring our lives into, nothing that will last for eternity. In John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” That is pretty direct - straightforward!
Therefore, our first item of business is to abide in Jesus. We need to purpose to find our life in Him – not outside of Him. We sing, “Jesus be the center of it all,” but sometimes we don’t even consider Him as we make our plans. We leave Him on the “Sunday list” and live the rest of the week just calling upon Him if we run into trouble or have a special need. But He wants to give us purpose. He wants to be the reason we do what we do. He wants us to live in such a way that we rely upon His Word and His Spirit to lead us and bring life to us and those around us and to all we do – because without Him we can do nothing!