There is something exciting about a new year, the concept of a fresh start, a clean slate, doing things differently. Yet, there is nothing magical about the transition from December 31 to January 1 each year. According to a January 3, 2017 Business Insider article, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February.  Reality is that your life (and mine) is not going to be all that different tomorrow or next week or next month, from what it is right now.

Making resolutions and gritting one’s teeth determined to make it work, this time, or again, can perhaps have some noble intentions. The reality is that the more we focus on ourselves and make a list of laws we must keep in order to be successful, or be happy, or whatever our bottom line goal is, the more we will fail.

I see my life differently these days. Not just on December 31, but every day. Goals are important, having a direction to move in is important, but I know full well it is not possible for me to live these goals, this direction, perfectly.  I am not here to become a better me, I am here because God placed me here. It is that simple.

In the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, there are so many laws. Religious Jews have added to these laws with the The Talmud consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara. The Mishnah refers to the oral law that, according to tradition, was given alongside the written Torah. The Gemara is rabbinic commentary on the Mishnah, 613 laws to follow! That is a heavy weight to bear! 

I am Jewish, however I am not simply going to point out the Jewish law. We can look at Catholicism or actually any organized religion, and you will find an endless list of dos and don’ts, religious practices, traditions, rules, requirements, how tos.

But hey, God is sovereign, He created each one of us, He knew we would each go our own way.  Isaiah 53:6 “We all went astray like sheep, we have turned, each one on his way, and the Lord accepted his prayers for the iniquity of all of us.”

Who is the “he” in “his prayers”?  In context with the rest of the Hebrew Bible, it is clearly the Messiah, our savior, the One God sent to save us from ourselves. You can read The Big Picture of this concept here.

I see my life differently now because I seek not to focus on myself but to focus on God. There are times that most things in my life are going well. Sometimes I could even say that everything is going well. There are also times that I hit rough patches, not everything is all wonderful, I am sick, I am struggling in some area, all very normal occurrences for people. In those tougher times, it is very easy for me to default onto the pity pot. But God. Do the rough times make me angry at Him? Not at this stage of my life because I understand the meaning of the word sovereignty.

God is in complete control of every molecule of existence, out there and in here. My definition of good may not be His definition of good, but He knows the full scope of a situation, meanwhile I know just my own little corner of it. And in focusing on God and that for whatever reasons He is allowing this situation, I have been able to relax, listen, and truly hear what God has to say in many different areas.

So on that note, I wish you a happy new year! May you grow deeper in the knowledge of God’s grace, wherever you are on this journey called life.

With love,
Diane