No Surprises in the New Year

<p>Some people might describe me as a goal-oriented list maker. And they would be right. So, it’s no surprise that I start a new year (sometimes the new calendar year in January, sometimes the new school year in the fall) with journal and pen in hand, writing out goals I want to accomplish. One New Year’s Eve, I sat thinking about hopes and dreams for the upcoming new year. But I had one thought I just couldn’t shake.</p><p>.</p><p>Gazing at a fresh page in the calendar, I fretted about the ways I would inevitably mess up the new year. It hadn’t even arrived yet, and already I’d begun to regret and even fear the sins I would certainly commit. I became bogged down, knowing I would spoil the new year in no time.</p><p>.</p><p>But for those of us who have entered a relationship with God through Jesus, believing in His death and resurrection and trusting Him to forgive our sins and provide new life, we can choose something better—better than living in regret over the past or in fear about ruining the future. We can live in freedom, resting in His sure love for us.</p><p>.</p><p>Will we sin in the new year? Of course, and the Lord already knows this. He is not caught off guard by our failures, and He has already secured our forgiveness inJesus—forgiveness for our sins in the past, present, and future. The Lord extends compassion to us, separating us from our sins so that we are never joined with them again. So, we can hope, dream, and plan for each new year, knowing that our compassionate Heavenly Father does not treat us as our sins deserve—even the ones still in our future. • Allison Wilson Lee</p><p>.</p><p>• If we know Jesus, we can be free from the fear of failure because His love and forgiveness don’t change, even when we fail. How can resting in these truths give us hope as we look forward to the future?</p><p>.</p><p>• Whenever we sin (by doing or thinking anything that goes against God) He calls us to confess and repent, turning away from our sin and back toward Him. Are there any sins on your mind that you c