Can The Excitement Last?

Philippians 3:13-14

Message No. 0799 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

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I saw the fireworks of major cities on crossover midnight, it was amazing to see the dazzling displays. Most people are excited for seeing a new year, as it signals a new beginning, but people soon realize that nothing has changed, and so goes the excitements. Nevertheless, as God’s children, if we do the right things and make the right choices and leave the past behind, there is no reason why we should not be excited daily. This writing offers some help for making our joy last beyond the first few days of the year.

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I recently asked in a Bible Study setting, “Why are people so excited when they are entering a new year?” The principal answer I got was, because it’s a new beginning. “Correct,” I responded. The start of a new thing is always very exciting because it is often filled with new expectations and experiences and new imaginations to look forward to. Take the example of someone relocating to a new country. If they have not been there before, there’ll be imaginations of how nice the place looks, what type of house they will live in, what types of people they will meet, how different will their lives be, and many more. How about starting a new job? It will be similar - what is the company culture and who will my colleagues be and how will they welcome me on the first day and how friendly will they be and what entitlements will I have, and many more.

Entering a new year is not very different. People treat January 1 as though the sun that will rise will be different from the one they saw on December 31. In most countries, people stay awake until midnight so they can scream “Happy New Year!” to themselves and to others too. Many countries have fireworks shooting into the sky. You will be surprised how much efforts and funds the major world cities put into this, just to wow everyone and add to the excitement of entering a new year.

However, how long does this excitement really last, one may ask? To many people, the excitement lasts only as long as the day breaks on January 1 and they see that they have woken up in the same beds as last year, their houses remain the same, as do their families and other relationships. They will have to drive  to work on the same roads and in the same traffic situations. The prices of goods and services they consume remain the same (if they haven’t gone up). Their struggles didn’t disappear with the previous year after all. 

Many carry the baggages of their regrets, mistakes, shame, secret sins, failures, lacks, and many more, with them, and soon enough, they discover that the new year is not different from the other years before it. Suddenly, they begin to wonder, what was all that excitement about? When will my struggles end? When will freedom come for me?

But things can be different, and we can have a truly new beginning, if there is a true change in our attitudes. Many christians don’t remember that their inputs are needed for real change to occur. They go to church religiously and spend hours in prayers but then, they push the responsibilities for actions to God alone. Many don’t know that the only responsibilities we can push to Him alone are the ones He has not enabled us for. 

For meaningful changes to occur, God’s children must play their own parts. Where changes are needed, we must determine to change and we must act on our determinations. If you need a job, don’t just sit and do nothing. Prayer is good but if you don’t do anything else, you are likely to remain jobless. You must rewrite your resume (if necessary) and you must find jobs that match your qualification and apply for as many as you can every day. You can also try your hands on a business that does not require lots of money to start; who knows, the Lord may be waiting to announce you and make you an employer of labour. If you have been feeling very entitled and always waiting for people to give you money, you need to stop, because those who are giving you will grow tired one day. If you don’t know what to do, ask people to give you advice and recommendations. You must believe in yourself that you can make it, and you really will.

If you harbour grudges, you must forgive people and ask them to forgive you where necessary so you can clear your mind and move on. Unforgiveness is big bondage - it will keep you perpetually in the past and each new year will be no different from your previous years until you let go. If you live in secret sin, you are responsible for saying enough. Until you stop, the sin won’t, and you will be wasting your time if you continue to blame the devil. This is what the Bible instructs in Ephesians:

Ephesians 4:22-32 NKJV

That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

We can truly have new beginnings and lasting excitements if we imbibe the attitude of Paul. In Philippians 3:13-14, he writes about how he forgets the things which are behind and focuses on the things ahead of him. One day at a time, he presses towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. If we all do the same this year, we can witness significant improvement in our lives, and continuing in that attitude will make each new year truly special.

What to Do?

Change your attitude and you can have a truly new beginning.