Starting New

It’s a new year—a natural time to set fresh goals and resolve to stick with them. Planning is the easy part; following through is where things get tough. I’ve learned that I can make all the plans I want, but real change only happens when I stop trying to control the outcome and start following God’s path—stepping out in faith and trusting Him with the results.

The other day, a small herd of deer wandered through my yard. As I watched them nibble their way along, I couldn’t help but admire their focus. They have one goal; eat. That’s it. They roam the woods with that single purpose in mind and –much to my dismay—eventually accomplish it by feasting on my ornamental plants. Every day, same goal. Eat.

Naturally, Aunt Marion felt compelled to add her two cents:

“My wisdom is worth more than two cents,” she said. “Inflation. Now pay attention. We need to be just like those ROUSs, rodents of unusual size. (I stole that from a movie.) The point is this: keep the main thing the main thing. If the main thing is always the main thing, then you’re headed in the right direction.”

She paused for effect. “So what’s the main thing? Following Jesus. Every day. In everything. For His glory. Do that, and each new day will come with fresh blessings. That’s all the wisdom I’ve got for today. And I’m offering it free of charge.”

And honestly? She’s not wrong.

As we step into this new year, maybe our goal doesn’t need to be complicated. Just this: keep following Jesus—steadily, faithfully, and with our eyes fixed on Him. Everything else will fall into place.