‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.‘ Genesis 1:1 NIV

Are you someone who parties out New Years Eve or are you in sweats by 8pm and tucked up by 10pm? During different seasons my family and I have done both, although our youngest is always adamant she wants to see the new year in.

The annual reset

While latterly I am more interested in a great nights sleep than a good party, I have always been the type to use the new year as an opportunity to evaluate. I’m not always a resolution maker, or keeper, I often reflect and then make plans to adjust unhelpful behaviors and introduce smarter choices. As I thought about the coming 2025, (my family and I are actually partying this one in Switzerland), it was suggested that we don’t need a new year to course correct our lives. We don’t even need a new day.

The God reset

All we need for a new beginning, is God. Where we are celebrating, a highly skilled team of groomers covers the slopes in the cover of darkness and resets the snow fresh for a new wave of skiers each morning. And in a way, we could say God is the master groomer. Because he does take all our churn and dirt and turn it into pristine white again. And he does this in an instant. No matter what we’ve done.

The way to reset

As if the depth of God’s ability to clean us up wasn’t astonishing enough, our access of that is even more remarkable. The method. We only need ask. That’s it. If we turn from our sins and ask God to forgive us, he does. The reset button, empowered by God’s incredible grace and born out of his great love for each of us, is freely given. It cost him his son and I can only imagine God won’t squander that loss, but will instead maximize his impact. So yes, all you need is to ask.

The reset challenge

As we embrace a new year, take time to run a heart check. Are there habits you feel convicted to adjust or shed, and behaviors you feel empowered to adapt? Then here’s the offer and the challenge – talk to God about them. The conversation is simple – I’m sorry for… please forgive me and help me to make changes, thank you for dying to save me.

Because there’s no point dragging into 2025 beaten when victory in Christ means you can tap-dance in, rejoicing in your incredible, freely given, new beginning. Available every time you need it.