SCRIPTURE:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
OBSERVATION:
Happy New Year! I love this time of the year because all of us are reminded of the possibility and potential of new beginnings. January 1st marks the beginning of fresh starts, new resolutions, and new efforts to living a better life. But this time of dreaming of what could be for some is also a season of disillusionment of what once was for others. Rather than looking at the promise of tomorrow, we fix our eyes on the pain of the past. “This year won’t be different,” we tell ourselves. “This year can’t be different because I’ve tried and tried and tried every single year to change, but I just can’t.” So rather than ride the wave of potential, we choose to sit out and not even try. And I get it. I’ve been there before. I’ve felt the pain of not getting the results you’ve hoped for. I’ve been in the position of not wanting to waste my energy and even trying. But what if I told you this year could be different. In spite of the failed attempts. Even with your repeated history. For four words have the potential to completely change your trajectory for this year.
What are these four life changing words? The same four words the open the Bible. “In the beginning, God…”
What?! “In the beginning, God…”?? That’s not even a complete thought! And yes, I know––the point is for you to fill in the rest. I’m not telling you to rewrite the Bible or commit blasphemy. What I am encouraging you to do is to start everything with God. Everything you do this year will be different because this time, you’ll begin everything with God. And He will make all the difference.
The Bible––God’s grand story of creation, failure, redemption, and reconciliation––begins with God. He creates everything out of nothing, and everything He creates is good, just like He is. But not even 2 full chapters later, we see man mess everything up. And what God once created for good was completely messed up by man and his sin. And why did man mess up? Because he tried to do something without God. Adam didn’t begin with God––He began with himself. Eve didn’t begin with God––she began with herself. And because they did, their actions resulted in catastrophic failure.
APPLICATION:
The same is true for you and I. Everything God created for us is good. The life we get to live, the purpose we get to fulfill––it’s all good. It’s when we begin with ourselves––our desires, our wants, our pride, our logic, our reasoning, our flawed understanding of the future––that we begin to fail. Why? Because the reality is that we desperately need God.
Today, you stand at the beginning of a brand new year. A new beginning. The potential of a hope-filled future. But whether you see that potential transformed into reality is up to you and whether you choose to begin with God or yourself. Don’t let this year be another year of failure. Don’t sit in the disappointment of the past. Get up, get off the bench, and start with Jesus.
This year, let your motto be “In the beginning, God…”
Begin with God’s strength.
Philippians 4:13 - I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
When you rely on your strength, you may last a while, but you will eventually fail. Why? Because your strength is limited. You can’t go on and on and on. But you know who can? God. Cars can run on different types of fuel, but not every fuel has the same efficiency. Some work better than others and some work worse than others. The same is true for you. You can try to run your life on your own strength, but it’s not until you fuel yourself with God’s strength that you experience life at its best. Don’t let this year be the same as the last. When you begin, rely on His strength, not yours.
- Begin with God’s purpose.
John 15:5 - “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Apart from God, you can do nothing. So why do you waste your time trying to do things that God isn’t blessing? Your gifts, your talents, and your position don’t matter if you have no anointing. Yes, you may have dreamed up a purpose for your life, but what is God’s purpose for your life? What is your higher calling? What is the thing He placed you to do on this Earth, for such a time as this? This year, don’t start with your purpose, for if you do, you will fail. But when you begin with God’s purpose, when all is said and done, you won’t fail––for God never fails. Begin with His purpose by doing what God has ordained, for apart from Him, you can do absolutely nothing. Don’t let this year be the same as the last. When you begin, fulfill His Purpose, not yours.
- Begin with God’s leadership.
John 16:13 - But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
You don’t have to do this year alone. God has given you the gift of the Holy Spirit––His presence––to live within you and guide you all the days of your life. He’s there to lead you, guide you, and change you from glory to glory. If you lead yourself, just like Adam and Eve, you will lead yourself right into failure. But if you let God lead you, He’ll lead you straight into your Promised Land. Don’t chart your own path; let God do it for you. Surrender your control and yield your understanding to Him. He sees all––past, present, and future. He knows all. And He knows what’s best for you. Trust God’s leadership above your own. You live your best life when you are a follower, not a leader. Don’t let this year be the same as the last. When you begin, follow God’s lead, not yours.
This year is going to be different. And it’s not because of you, but because of God. This year, let your motto be, “In the beginning, God…” Start with Him. Rely on His strength, His purpose, and His leadership. And when you do, 2026 will be your best year yet.
PRAYER:
God,
Thank You for the promise of a new year. I repent of my sins and I thank You that because of you, I don’t have to live chained to the pain of my past, for You have fully forgiven me. I am a new creation. The old me has gone and the new me has come. I walk in freedom. God, this year, I desire to be different, and I want that difference to be You. I invite You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit into my life, and I humbly ask You to do life with me. Would Your presence be as real as someone sitting right next to me, and would Your voice be as loud and clear as my closest friend. I surrender 2026 to You and I trust in You. This year is not about me; it’s all about You. Your will be done in my life, and in this world, as it is in heaven. I love You, Lord, with all my heart. Thank You for loving me.
In Jesus’ mighty name,
Amen
