“This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'" // John 1:15
I must admit that I have never been a big fan of New Year's Eve. I don't like resolutions, or large group gatherings, and I really don't like staying up late. That said, after reflecting on today's Gospel, I had to pause a little as we find ourselves at the end of another year.
In today's reading, John writes an introduction that seems like a conclusion. John gives us a new look at creation. He gives us a preamble to the creation of the heavens and the earth, and then brings us all the way through to the saving power of Jesus Christ, Word made flesh.
New Year’s Eve can be like that as well. A beginning that starts with a conclusion. We look to the New Year by first reflecting on the past with our earthly eyes. We ask ourselves what we need to change. We start new healthy habits and try to quit the unhealthy ones. Maybe we promise ourselves we will eat well, move more, or spend less.
Could we instead evaluate our spiritual lives this year? Where do you struggle to trust? What are your moments of weakness? When do you feel His presence the strongest? How can you invest more fully in a relationship with the Lord?
Whether today is about changes, or reflection, or is just another day on the calendar, I want to enter it with thanksgiving that I get to live this life with the Lord, for the Lord, in community with others. If you look to your New Year and resolve to change, think of your whole self, not just the part other people see. Start anew this year mind, body, and spirit. A new beginning is something we should all be ready to celebrate.
Live this life with the Lord. // @maryruthhackettClick to tweet
Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett is a writer, national speaker, and podcast host covering topics in psychology and faith. She holds a PhD in Educational Psychology and works at the important intersection of faith and developmental science, blending them in the original harmony God intended. Dr. Mary Ruth is the author of Daughter by Design: Discovering Your Identity as God's Beloved Daughter, and co-coauthor of Spiritual Discernment for Beginners: Learning to Hear God and Defeat the Lies of the Enemy. She is a contributing author to All She Had and our children’s devotional prayer book called Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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