Opening a new calendar, full of untouched pages, represents a fresh start, an open door to progress. At such a time, people often give themselves permission to release what’s come before and move expectantly into the unwritten next chapter of their lives—and the world.
But sometimes, almost as fast as the winds of new possibilities blow in, a counterforce of doubts and routine can dampen aspirations, telling us we’re not ready to go forward, we shouldn’t get our hopes up (remember last year), the path ahead will be hard.
Paul, an early Christian, faced a host of trials and tribulations over many years (for a partial list see Second Corinthians 11:25–33). Yet he wrote this about how to move forward: “Brothers and sisters, I can’t consider myself a winner yet. This is what I do: I don’t look back, I lengthen my stride, and I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus. Whoever has a mature faith should think this way. And if you think differently, God will show you how to think” (Philippians 3:13–15, God’s Word Translation).
