There is something about the turn of the calendar that stirs hope in us. A new year invites us to pause, take a deep breath, and imagine what might be possible. Even if nothing about our circumstances has changed overnight, January carries with it the promise of a fresh start.
We often talk about fresh starts in terms of resolutions, what we want to do better, change, or finally get right this time around. While those intentions can be meaningful, the Christian understanding of a fresh start goes deeper. It is not rooted primarily in our willpower, but in God’s grace.
Scripture is full of reminders that God delights in making things new. “See, I am doing a new thing,” God declares through the prophet Isaiah. The good news of the gospel is that new beginnings are not limited to January 1. God offers renewal again and again, every morning and every moment we turn back toward love, mercy, and hope.
