New year; same GOD

We’ve all heard the saying, “New year; new me,” more times than we can count, and oftentimes, those words are uttered with true sincerity. However, more often than not, it is lip service, a means-to-an-end of a year where we made terrible decisions, lost friends, or found ourselves so disappointed that we want nothing more than to start over.

The ironic part is that with every millisecond, minute, hour, and new day, we have been granted chance-after-chance to start over. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us if we root ourselves in Christ, we will become new. Our old ways will disappear, and the new us will prevail. Here’s why most people miss it, though: they expect the old to disappear instantly. That’s not how He works.

As sure as we have to wait an entire twenty-four hours before we can officially celebrate the new year, surely, we will have to wait and work towards cleansing the old parts of ourselves. Right? Let me tell you a story.

For my 30th birthday, I decided to live on the wild side. I asked my youngest sister to color my normally jet black hair a deep purple. She obliged, but it took several processes for her to get the desired color. Not only did she have to purchase the supplies, but she also had to bleach the hair; otherwise, the color wouldn’t show up properly. It took her half a day, and when the time came, I wore my daring color proudly, smiling as my students “Ooed” and “aahed”.

Months later, I decided I didn’t want the purple anymore; so, after watching several YouTube videos, I set out to restore the color to its natural state. I washed and washed and washed. Little by little, the color bled from my hair. I continued to wash and wash….more color came out. I washed some more and found a dingy blond color underneath! Imagine my surprise! I’d forgotten that she had bleached the hair before she’d applied the color. There was not way for me to restore this hair to its original color without completely re-coloring the hair. It seemed like a never-ending process.

My experience with the hair color is indicative of our walk with Christ. It is utterly impossible to become a new you in the blink of an eye or when the clock strikes midnight. However, the beautiful part about being with God is that He gives us the tools we need to initiate the change, to see it through, and to sustain while on our new journey with Him. At times, we will run into unexpected obstacles, such as the bleach I encountered; yet, His word (the Bible) serves as a map that we can use to access detours and tools to abstain from temptation and pass the tests. We may not always get it right, but there’s joy in knowing the most righteous man of them all.

In the New Year, seek the new “Godly” you and hold on for the ride! He’s worth it and MORE!