Happy New Year! I love the "new" in new year. I love new months, new weeks, new days, and all things new. "Why?" you may ask. My love of newness comes from my tendency to screw up, because newness implies freshness and the opportunity to begin again.
Consider resolutions. There is no law, actual or imagined, that indicates that resolutions only be made at the beginning of a calendar year, but the beginning of the calendar year invites the opportunity. Habits can begin to be formed at any time, but it is encouraging to know that we can get a fresh start.
I'll be the first to admit my mistakes (some of them) and my past failures, but failure for me is a daily thing. I am by nature a selfish person, and it is something I wrestle with constantly. Here are some questions I would want to be able to answer "yes," but I cannot honestly do so:
Am I as patient a father as I could be?
Am I as attentive a husband as I could be?
Am I as dedicated an employee as I could be?
Do I follow God as closely as I should?
Am I as wise a steward of my time, finances, and abilities as I should?
It is a new year, and a new day and I have an opportunity to change the direction of my life. It does not erase past failures, but it is a reminder to be better and more diligent in pursuing these goals going forward.
Happy New Year to you, and may you have a fresh outlook on life and the motivation to set goals and pursue them more passionately.