Category: celebration

Happy New Year, P.I.M PALS! 🥳

I hope that wherever you are in the world, you are safe and healthy and enjoying the start of the new year. ✨

The beginning of the new year is a grand event celebrated by almost everyone. But for some, this event can breed uncertainty amongst those who are anxious about what might take place during the new year. During multiple New Year’s celebrations, I can recall being concerned about the trials and troubles I or my family might experience during the year. Additionally, as many of you could relate, my concern for the upcoming year was further heightened this past New Year’s by the suffering I endured during 2022. Specifically, all of the fear, anxiety, physical discomfort, etc., that I experienced in 2022 put me in a constant struggle to find even the smallest amount of peace within myself.

Despite these concerns, however, on the morning of New Year’s Eve, I felt a strong sense of peace, while in my room. I found myself saying in my head, “Wow, I feel so peaceful, where is this feeling of peace coming from?” I wasn’t looking at anything that could bring me this level of peace, and I didn’t hear any good news or do any fun or peaceful activities such as reading or drinking tea. After all, I had just woken up from sleeping! However, it did not take me long to know that this “wave” of indescribable peace didn’t come out of nowhere, but instead came from God.

God entered my room right after I woke up and flooded me with His peaceful presence. This was even before I read my daily devotions, play worship music, or even pray to Him. The first thing He wanted me to do to start my day was to feel the peace He was giving me. And as the scriptures say, that peace truly surpassed all of my understanding (Philippians 4:7 (NIV)).

When I experienced the peace of God in my room, I just decided to sit and immerse myself in it. I did not look at anything, read anything, or even play praise and worship music in the background. It was just me and God, and I instantly went into prayer, thanking Him for this incredible feeling of peace that assured me that He is with me throughout my suffering and doubt. God also told me that my family and I will have a peaceful year and that He will always be with us and protect us from harm and danger. 

While praying to Him and thanking Him, I felt like He began to give me instructions and His Will for me for the new year. He gave me instructions about every one of my desires and plans for the new year which gave me a greater sense of peace.

God gave me instruction, not necessarily by speaking directly to me, but through my thoughts. At first, this caused me to question the thoughts I was having on whether they were instructions from God or just my thoughts. However, thanks to wisdom from God, given to me through my father, I was reassured that the thoughts I had while feeling God’s peaceful presence were His instructions, as those thoughts aligned with the Word of God, which holds God’s Will and His instruction. Upon learning this, I was able to confidently heed the Lord’s instructions and become encouraged in Him, just as David did during a time of great distress according to 1 Samuel 30:6 (KJV).

Once I shared this experience with my family, they also became encouraged. Additionally, we all became further resolved in trusting in God’s promises for the new year, because at the end of the day, He is all-knowing and He sees all, including that which we don’t know or see ourselves. 

These are also the reasons why my family and I are starting 2023 with Proverbs 16:3 (NIV), which says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans”. Since God knows everything, including our plans for 2023 and beyond, that means He also knows the outcome of each of our plans. This also means that He knows which plans will prove to be fruitful and which won’t. And so, by committing our plans to Him, He will evaluate each plan and determine what plans we should pursue, or in other words, align with His Will.

How this may apply to you, the reader is through a common tradition that many people participate in at the start of each new year: New Year’s resolutions. Many people at the beginning of a new year make “resolutions” or firm decisions to do something that are usually impactful to their own lives or others. Because the new year is in many ways symbolic of a new start, it can serve as a motivator for some people to accomplish certain goals within the upcoming year. This motivation can be pretty strong, and I have seen many accomplish their goals fueled by the start of the new year. However, as almost everybody knows, more often than not people fail to accomplish or maintain their New Year’s resolutions. There are many reasons why people fail to maintain their resolutions, but all of them can be simplified with the following: The adrenaline of the New Year is not a strong enough foundation to build your goals. 

While there is nothing wrong with making New Year resolutions or being motivated by the new year to do something, the adrenaline of the new year can easily and quickly dissipate, especially when considering the small amount of patience and determination people can have when they don’t accomplish their goals right away. Additionally, when filled with the excitement of the new year, many people rashly create plans/resolutions for the year that ultimately prove to be reckless, not achievable, unrealistic, and a waste of time. My point is that although New Year’s resolutions can be great and even feasible, solely creating plans for the year with the sole motivation and foundation being the New Year is not the best strategy.

This is why I say that when creating your plans for the new year, you should do what Proverbs 16:3 (NIV) says to do and commit your plans to God. Compared to the beginning of the new year, God is a better foundation where you can lay your plans, because He knows all and, therefore, knows which plans you should pursue and how you should pursue them.

Additionally, Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) says, “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” While this verse does acknowledge the path that we want to take as humans, it also tells us that God is the one who ultimately determines and knows the best course of action we should take and how we should live. That is why you can trust that when you commit your plans to God, He will give you the necessary guidance and instruction and that if you heed His instruction and allow Him to guide you, you will be walking the right path. After all, as it says in Proverbs 16:20 (NIV), “Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.”

So, reader, I encourage you today to go to God and commit to Him your plans. Give Him all of your bright ideas, thoughts, plans, desires, and dreams, and He will guide you on the path you should take. Just take it as if you were going to someone for advice, except that this “someone” is the all-knowing, all-powerful, and benevolent God who knows what’s best for you.

And as I talked about earlier, if, like me, you are seeking peace for 2023 and the years to come, then go to God and ask Him to give you peace beyond all understanding. There are many people out in the world evoking God during the new year, and as a result, God is moving. So I can say with confidence that if you go to Him for peace, He will provide. In Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV), Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Even during times of trouble and distress, be confident in knowing that when you pray to God, He will guard your heart and mind and fill you with peace. And along with God’s grace, by aligning your thoughts, words, and actions with God’s Word, you can further receive God’s gift of peace this year, and for all the years to follow.

And so, to close out, I say to all who read this post, Happy New Year and, as Romans 15:33 (NIV) says, “The God of peace be with you all. Amen.” ✨

So, reader, do you make New Year’s resolutions? If so, are you committing them to God?

🥳 

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you found this post to be valuable, and if it resonated with you, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section. I would love to hear from you. 💕

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May God bless you and protect you, and I pray that you are safe and healthy always. 🤍🙏

Your P.I.M PAL,

Selene