New Year, Renewed Year
The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones…He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” (Ezekiel 37:1, 3 NIV)
Have you ever felt like dry bones? Have you ever been so exhausted, so spent, that you couldn’t muster up enough energy to accomplish even the simplest of tasks? You know that feeling? Do you seldom have the opportunity to go to sleep at night and not set an alarm clock, but just sleep until your body decides it’s done? You aren’t alone; many people suffer from time poverty.
New Years always foster good intentions. Resolutions are made to get organized, get healthy, get productive, get going, etc. Stores stock up and create huge displays of organizational tools at the end of the year because they know this is what’s on the minds of the consumer. As we put away Christmas decorations we usually think to ourselves, “Next year I’m going to start earlier!” There never seems to be enough time to do all the things we want to do. And in the church we strive to remind people that Christ’s birth is the reason we celebrate Christmas. Our efforts unintentionally add to our people’s exhaustion.
While New Years’ resolutions are great and the intentions behind them are honorable, they are often short-lived because they, too, require so much of us. The church and our faith are sometimes included in those resolutions. Some folks strive to read and study the Bible more. Maybe you’ve said to yourself, “This year I’m going to volunteer more at the church.” Or maybe it was more like, “This year I’m going start saying ‘no’.” Each of these things are good news to the church. Yes, we want our people studying and learning from God’s word. Yes, we want more volunteers helping out and sharing in the ministries we create and support. Yes, we also want a congregation full of individuals who strive to take care of themselves and their families. Just as with most everything, the key is to find a balance.
Whether you make and keep your resolutions or not, every day is a good day to resolve to live healthy, be organized, be productive, learn more, and share in the work of the church. And every day is also a good day to set boundaries, exercise some limitations and prioritize those things which hold the most value for you.
As we head into yet another New Year, may we also seek to have a Renewed Year. Let us resolve to measure everything we do in the church to include only those things which offer new life and vitality to our members. Let us never reach the point where all we are is dry bones, but instead be an active and vital membership dedicated with Kingdom work and sharing the love of Christ here and to every corner of the world.
Blessings,
Tracy