Every year ends pretty much the same way. We take some time to reflect on the past twelve months. We read lists of the “Best Albums of the Year,” or “The Year’s Top Celebrity Moments,” or “22 Greatest Food Fails of 2013.” We are still feeling the effects of the holiday season, which may take the form of extra weight, extra debt, or an extended hangover. Then, at the stroke of midnight on December 31st, we stop all this reflecting and move on to celebrating the future. We set unrealistic goals. We talk about how this year will be better than the last. We trade our nostalgia for hope.
New Years, much like graduations are about endings and beginnings. They cause us to take stock of the events that have led us to where we are, survey the highlights and lowlights along the way, and look forward with anticipation of what the future holds.
In the spirit of reflecting on the past and looking ahead to the future, Pastor Nate took some time this past Sunday to recap some of this year’s sermon series. As we look back on messages past, truths are reaffirmed and we are reminded of the highlights. As I listened to the sermon, I began to think about all the lessons I had learned over the past year.
Sometimes, learning something new means changing something that you thought you knew. We don’t like to admit that we believed something false. In fact, when faced with some truth that confronts a long-held belief that we’ve comfortably settled into, our instinct is to challenge that truth and fight for our false saviors. Learning can be painful and uncomfortable. Some of the things I have learned over the past year were these hard-fought truths. As I look forward to the year to come, I anticipate that more of the “truths” I hold onto now will be challenged.
Jeff Hyson
The Earth orbits the sun once every 365.25 days. It has for as long as we can remember. Still, every time it does, we celebrate. We celebrate the past, and we look forward to the future. This past year I’ve learned that God’s truths are truer than mine. Do not be afraid to learn something new this year, even if it challenges a false “truth” in your life, because giving up something little to gain something big should be everyone’s New Year’s resolution.