A biblical concept that I return to often is God’s endless love and His new mercies every morning. In Lamentations 3:22-23, it says: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Amidst a lot of hardship, the author of Lamentations (widely accepted as Jeremiah) called on the Lord and it instilled hope.

If you are someone that lays their head on a pillow and falls asleep within a few short moments… I am really happy for you – really. If you are like me, this is more of a rare occurrence. I am quite reflective when I lay my head to rest. I was like this as a kid and in my teen years, I journalled every single night. In self-reflection comes a realization of your short-comings and ongoing difficulties. Something that I struggle with is allowing God’s grace to fully redeem me – I hold onto my sins and am slow to offer myself forgiveness. Accepting redemption is a stepping stone in moving forward from a sin; it creates distance between you and the sin. I believe this distance aids in not repeating said behaviour. “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”  Ezekiel 33:10-11

When I wake up after feeling upset about my choices from the previous day, I find myself thinking about that verse in Lamentations. I’m thankful that God’s love is stronger than my regret or disappointment and I am inspired to live that day out better than the last. The goal is to need as little grace and mercy from God as possible by walking perfectly in step with Him. God’s desire for the way in which we live is to be sinless – perfect, like Jesus. Plot twist… we are imperfect and God knows we will not achieve perfection in our fallen humanness,
but He has grace and mercy for us. That doesn’t mean we abuse this system – He knows our intentions and He wants us to surrender. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:8-9

I am that slightly annoying person (depending who you are) that doesn’t hate mornings, Mondays, Januarys, or the start of something new. I liked them when I was in grade school, I liked them in university, I liked them working full time – I simply love a fresh start. It excites, encourages, and inspires me.

New Years Eve might be my favourite day of the whole year because I reflect on the past year, think forward to the coming year and create a sort of self-improvement idea list. My best friends and I do this together on New Years Eve (preceded by yummy food and followed by a dance party) and it sets the tone as we ring in the new year. I suppose it could be considered a New Years resolution but I am not fond of this terminology. I think the word “resolution” often comes with a rigidity that in my experience leads to lasting failure. If your goal is to “never ___” or “always ___”, it is likely that you will experience failure in the process of achieving said goal, and without grace for yourself, it can be hard to stay inspired. Don’t let the goal be the end of the thought or conversation. Push your mind further. What habits will lead you to your goal? What are likely road blocks you will encounter and how can you hurdle them?

The process of positive transformation involves small changes, consistently. Any habit directed at self-improvement will typically be difficult by nature but come with built-in benefits that eventually spur you on.  Set yourself up for success. When you feel you’ve failed, don’t give up on creating the habit or pursuing the goal – just like God allows us to try again, and again, and again after we mess up, allow yourself the same opportunity.

As you are entering 2024, I hope you accept the Lord’s mercy, be patient with yourself, learn from the past, look forward to the future, invite God to direct your plans and experience the gift of joy.