2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

As we get ready to enter the new year of 2020, we look back at our past selves in 2019. Were you happy with how the year turned out? Disappointed? Do you wish you could have done more? Well as Christians, we can always be satisfied in moving forward, because God doesn’t care what we have done in the past, but what we can do for Him in the future.

When someone believes in Christ, and gives themselves up to Him, they become a new creation. Faith does not put someone into Christ, but it allows God to dwell in our hearts through the Holy Spirit guiding our thoughts and actions. Everything about ourselves that happened in the past is dropped. They were just temporary. In exchange, we receive eternal treasures through salvation.

Through Jesus Christ, we are born again, as explained in John chapter three. In Isaiah 43:18-19, God even tells His people to not consider the things of old, because He has come to make new things. Whatever you did years ago is forgiven by Christ. It doesn’t matter what you have done. All that matters is how you learn from your past experiences to be a better person for Jesus. That’s how we move forward and gain spiritual maturity.

If we dwell too much in the past, it affects us mentally and emotionally. We can never move on. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can look forward to a new hope. We can bask in the everlasting glory of God’s grace and love. We can take on the New Year with a sense of confidence and determination. When you commit your life to Jesus, we belong to Him as a new creation. God fills the gap and becomes the missing piece in our life.

Maybe this year, we can face spiritual goals for ourselves. Then we have to figure out practical steps on how we can achieve those goals. Perhaps it’s setting daily reminders on our phone to read the Bible once or day or remember to pray. We can get involved in Bible studies or meet up with a friend for one-on-one meetings to talk about our spiritual walk.

This week, pray about how you can face the New Year as a new creation in Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to dwell in you to help convict you of your past and press on toward a bright future.