His Mercies Are New Every Morning...and Year

Well, folks, it’s a new year! And with the start of a new year usually comes new resolutions, goals, habits and bucket lists. This new year I found myself feeling a little discouraged on the habit front. Everytime I start a new habit, be it doing my dishes, Bible reading, or working out, I always hit a point in my life where my schedule, exhaustion, or general lack of discipline lead the habit to ending. I mean -- let’s be honest -- the majority of us don’t stick with our habits forever. 

But, I also know some of these goals I can’t give up on forever. I’m still called to read my Bible as a Christian, seeking truth in the word of God. My roommates still rely on me to try and do my dishes and my body needs working out to be healthy. 

So I find myself in a new year. With a strange awareness of the impending failure of some habits I’d like to recommit to again. But, I also have come to realize that life is full of fresh starts and new seasons for this very reason. We fail all the time. We commit ourselves to healthy habits and smart goals and then we fail. But, for a bit…we actually make progress. We do the good thing for 2 weeks or 2 days or 2 months! And then we fail…but that doesn’t invalidate those moments of benefitting from the good habit or discipline. So this new year, I’ve decided to focus on the micro fresh starts as well as the big ones. And view them as opportunities to commit to habits for a little while. Even though I know I will fail, I want to see how long this commitment can last, and then I will rest in a new fresh start when I do fail :) 

I have the usual drive to be better about cleaning up after myself, learn how to cook new things, workout more consistently, and build Bible time into my day, but I also have some more broad spiritual disciplines on my heart this year. 

This year I find myself drawn to prayer, worship, and hospitality. There is something beautiful about encouraging and supporting one another over a meal or a movie night. I want my home and my heart to be a place that embraces people where they are at and nourishes them with scrumptious (ish) food and love. I’m praying the Lord will open doors for ministry through hospitality this year. 

There are also so many things going on in my life that I can’t control -- future jobs, relationships, family things, health issues, and watching friends go through adversity. But I do feel deeply that I can pray for them. To turn to God and pray over the people and questions in my life, re-orienting my heart to trusting in Him and focusing on gratitude and joy through prayer.

This semester is going to be a big one. I’m excited for how God is going to use my many commitments and projects to love and serve others and to daily rely on Him. I’m choosing to see this semester as an opportunity to lean on Him and to seek to be aware of God in the many different things I’m doing and the communities He has placed me in. This semester holds many opportunities for failure, growth, and best of all, fresh starts where I can walk in His grace.

Thank goodness we don’t just have new years, but we also have new mercies every morning. Our God is good and gracious and SO patient with us. A friend reminded me of that recently. Of God’s slow, gentle, patience as we grow and relearn…fail and try again. 

So friends, if you’ve already failed at that new workout regimen or Bible time, rest in His new mercies every morning, and find the fresh starts in the little moments. 

Sincerely,

Sophi