Let's Give It One More Shot

So, all of us have rolled out of bed right into a brand new year and not for the first time. Just like last year (and the year before that) we will now spend time talking about this calendar change as if it has some great (almost spiritual) significance. This is a day of new beginnings. There is a lot of hope in that statement. This is our chance to live our lives differently, but, I think it is important that we acknowledge the New Year for what it is; an opportunity.

There is no magic in 2011. There are no quick fixes or easy answers. The reality is that 2011 will be remarkably like 2010. The sun will rise and set and the seasons will change and we will, most likely, live each day in much the way we have lived up to this moment. We are about to be confronted by the power of habit, tradition and repetition. Anyone who has resolved to lose a few pounds or give up their cigarettes or get more exercise can testify that change is hard.

The good news is that no matter how hard it is to make changes to our lives and no matter how many times we’ve tried and failed in the past we know that change is still possible. This is what makes each New Year a hopeful moment. We have been given an opportunity to be new people so why wouldn’t we want to try?

To be honest, this was an opportunity that was there for us last month and will still be there for us six months from now. Our lives are a series of endless opportunities but before we can move on to become the people we would like to be we have to embrace this moment and then work with it. Much of our lives are dominated by that little voice that says, “been there, done that, no use trying again.”

New Years says to us that it is time to try it again; it’s OK to give it another shot and we should.

The Christian faith is built around this same message of continual opportunity. Jesus invites us to trust in Him and allow Him to transform our lives. It can happen today if we are willing to surrender. What often gets in the way of our chance at new life is that same little voice that says, “been there, done that, no use trying again.”

Think of this New Year as God saying, “let’s give it one more shot. OK?”