Happy New Year!

I know many of us say something like this every year, but I'll say it again.

Wow, it's 2011 already!? That sounds so futuristic! Two thousand eleven. Weird. No more 2010. Good-bye twenty-ten!

We know that a new year will bring changes of all sorts. We don't know exactly what, but we know that changes will come in our lives.

I must say I am definitely a fan of change in many ways. I used to rearrange my room in high school and college at least once a year (always at the new year), sometimes more. It would create the sense of being in a new place, and I love the feeling of being in new places. It brings a freshness to my life that helps invigorate me. Rearranging my bedroom would give me something else to think about when I'd come home from a boring or mind-numbing class to a recently altered setup. "Oh yeah, I changed my setup! How fun!" A nice feeling.

But do you wanna know something about that feeling? It never lasted long. A week or two would go by and the change was nearly forgotten already. It wouldn't take long before I felt like I might want to change something again. It wasn't sustainable.

So what's really the root issue here? The search for a feeling. Even the search for an escape. I want to feel excited about the new year. I want to feel like everything is going to be different this year. I often love change because it brings a sense of hope, of newness, but more often than not, those feelings are grounded on nothing more than rearranged furniture.


Not exactly where I want my foundation of hope to be.

I want something sustainable. I want to walk on solid ground and know that even though life will bring me all sorts of challenges, trials, ups and downs, I can be joyful and confident in my future. I want to be sure of something. I don't want to have to rearrange my living room to feel a sense of newness and hope. (By the way, there is nothing wrong with rearranging your living room!)

And "rearranging your living room" could take whatever form in your life. Finding a new girlfriend/boyfriend. Getting rid of my perfectly good car for a nicer, new one. Buying those stylish new clothes that my roommate wears that I can't really afford or don't need. Getting my hands on the newest gadget that will surely make my life simpler (pardon the sarcasm). Trying to be someone I'm not so others will look at me with approval.

So as we dive into this new year, I hope you consider where your hope is found. As for me, I will place my trust and my hope and my future of this year and all that follow in the person and the work of Jesus Christ, my savior. Because he took my place and died for my sins so I don't have to, he showers me with his approval. I don't need the approval of others, because my Creator calls me his beloved child! He is the Rock and the solid ground I desire and need. He offers me life, peace, and joy. He gives me all the hope I need. And it's sustainable hope. And as for newness and change? As I seek to know Him more, I discover something new all the time. He is endless, and a humble seeker never gets tired of walking with God. Following Christ is anything but boring!

Wishing you a new year filled with true hope and joy that last an eternity!