All Things New

The idea of the New is upon us in full force today, as it is New Year’s Eve. While, for many, the night may be just another new party, others really attempt to use the change on the calendar as a marker for new adventures, new diets, new goals, new dreams, and new aspirations.

The idea of New is not new, actually. Newness has been a theme of life from the beginning. Even in the Old Testament, the concept of newness was apparent. Take for example the life of Moses. His calling, his embrace of the plan of God for his life, led him and others toward a new horizon. This man, purposed by God to lead others out of slavery and toward freedom in God, was not at all expecting the kind of life God was calling him to. In fact, when God began the draw Moses, Moses told his Maker, in no uncertain terms, that he was not the guy needed for the task at hand. Yet, as he walked toward his calling Moses found that his true purpose, and the call of his heart, was to lead others to an alternative reality beyond anything they had ever known.

Backing away from the new call initially, Moses eventually gave in, and as history records it, Moses was indeed found to be the man for the job, and his God-ordained leadership was critical in history and in the life of Israel. Without Moses playing the role he played all of recorded history, would in fact, be much different. In essence, Moses’ task, at a foundational level, was to embrace newness. This newness was a change in direction for him and a liberation for those that would follow him. This newness lied in the reality of a God who desires to make all things new in a world that has become all too comfortable with old ways which leave us wanting and empty.

The life of Moses and the journey he led, a journey toward the new promises of God, is a reminder to us this New Year of God’s call to us to desire and embrace the new realities God is calling us to. As we set our aspirations, ambitions, goals, and desires for the year ahead, we should be mindful that God is at work calling us to Himself and to new initiatives. The newness for each of us may be different, but each call of God is to embrace the newness of life which results when we follow Him on the trail He is blazing in front of us.

Just as embracing newness inspired Moses and resulted in freedom from slavery for many Israelites, so to our embrace of newness positions us for great accomplishments in this life. This year, be aware of the new things to which God is calling you. It may be a new career, a new relationship, a new season in life, a new perspective, a new hope, and for some, perhaps, a new view of life altogether. If you are trapped by patterns which you know are robbing you of the kind of life God has for you, this change on the calendar could serve to focus you on God’s call for you to turn your face toward Him and be made new from the inside out. Take Him up on His offer of change.

Just today I ran into a friend who I had not seen in a while. In our last conversation together I encouraged him to look for his passion in life and to pursue it. For him, as he told me today, that search resulted in a career change and a return to education. In his words, “I feel like a weight has been lifted.”, he said. He went on to tell me of his new pursuit to gain more education to better lead young people in the classroom, in sports, and in other venues. Leaving the rat race of material pursuit and a career he had been less than excited about for years, was a decision which freed his soul and energized him in a way he had not known in a very long time.

Each of us, as Moses and my friend found out, have the ability to embrace an energizing and liberating future. This future is found as we move toward those plans God has for us. As we walk in the direction of those dreams we find the life we were meant to live and we lead others to a much fuller life.

Embrace His Newness today and in the year to come,

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

This entry was posted on 31. December 2007 at 12:30 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.