The New Year is a great time to start something new, for a fresh start. The old year is done, and the new one is just beginning. It’s also a perfect time to start fresh with Jesus. To begin a new routine of getting into his word. When we realize that he wants to do a new work in our lives, it makes it even more exciting. Look at what the prophet Isaiah said:
Isaiah 43:18-19
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Starting points like the new year are a good motivation, but we can get a fresh start anytime we want. That’s what so great about God! He wants us to start fresh with him right now. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we’ve done; a new beginning can happen right now. Take three simple steps can get the process going. This can clean the slate and prepare us for everything that God has for us.
Get Right With God
The first step to a fresh start is to get right with God. Ask for forgiveness of your sins. Starting with a clean slate means “forgetting the former things.” When we ask for forgiveness, God forgives us and forgets our past. Take a moment and get right with God. Confess your sins and ask Jesus to forgive them. This will allow you to move forward.
Walk in the Holy Spirit
The second step is to receive the Holy Spirit. We are filled with the Holy Spirit at salvation, but a fresh filling is needed to solidify this fresh start. Ask Jesus to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit. D.L. Moody was asked why he needed to be refilled with the Holy Spirit. He replied: “Because I leak.” Many of us are running on the fumes of the Holy Spirit filling and not overflowing in his power.
Get Moving
The final step is that we need to get moving forward. If we dwell on the past, there will be no new work in our life. Start to establish new habits in your life. Experts say that it takes three weeks to establish a new habit (hence the 21-day devotional). Read your Bible daily, spend time in prayer, attend a local Bible teaching church, and start to give of yourself. Write your thoughts in a journal. As you do these things repetitively, you will begin to see a change in your life. A fresh start is waiting for those who want it today.