The Christmas season is a unique time for a lot of reasons.
I look forward to it every year with anticipation. It marks the end of one year and the beginning of another.
For some, that is good news and for others, it brings a sigh of worried anxiety.
I remember getting an “etch-a-sketch” one Christmas when I was a child.
I’m not sure they even exist today, but back in the day, it felt like a modern day iPad. Two knobs allowed you to begin sketching a picture on the pad. No worry if you messed up, because all you had to do was shake the pad and the lines magically disappeared forever. No hidden storage bin, memory chip or iCloud to retrieve what was erased but just a blank slate to begin again.I don’t know about you, but I’ve messed up a lot in life and there are days I wish I could just shake myself and start over again.
No consequences to my mistakes, no shameful memories of failure to stare at or people to remind me of the things I want so desperately to forget. Is that even possible? Or is it just a make believe toy that once dazzled my imagination.
I believe you can make a comeback from the mess-ups and failures of life. It’s not too late and you’re never too far. The good news is God is in the business of giving people second chances and fresh starts.
He gives us hope at Christmas by reminding the world the greatest second chance came in the form of a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. No matter what we did or how bad it was, God sent Jesus to forgive us and give us a brand new start.
Think of it this way: A New Year- A New You! You can make a comeback. You can have a new beginning. I’m not making this up. It is taken right from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT), which says “…anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
This is a promise, not a prediction. I’ve personally witnessed the transformation of people over the past 30 years in ways I never thought possible. With God, all things are possible.What a great way to begin a new year. This is more than a New Year’s Resolution. This is life transformation. Regret is something nobody wants to have, but many will because they choose to do nothing.
You and I have the choice to overcome regret. Regrets can be reversed by our willingness to decide. I am challenging you to decide today to make a personal comeback.
You can do it! I believe you can. Tune out the negative feelings and voices around you and listen to what God promised us. In Isaiah 43:19 (NIV) He says, “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.”
God intended for us to put our faith and trust in Him. I’ve been so disappointed every year I attempt to do things in my own strength and effort because it never is enough.
Our hope is not in us but what God wants to do in and through us. It seems like failure to many people when actually it is freedom. Freedom to be the person God created you to be.
If you’re ready for a new beginning, want to put failure behind you and begin a comeback, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at help@bridgewoodchurch.com. Tell me your story or share your struggle. We would love to help encourage you to become a new you this year.
I am beginning a new weekend series about making a comeback at Bridgewood Church every Sunday in January at 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. I would love for you to be my guest at one of these services. I believe it can be the start of a new journey that you will never regret.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Curt Demoff is lead pastor at Bridgewood Church