Romans 6:4 - A new year in our new life

Romans 6:4 “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (NIV)

The New Year has come quickly upon us, leaving the old year a recent memory. The events of this past year have not gotten so dim in our minds that we neglect nostalgia for hope. With all that happened this past year, we hope and desire newness and freshness this year, a change from last year for the better.  In a way this change of year is almost an identical example of the change of life we experience when we commit ourselves to Christ. Our old life ends, but we remember it well. Our old life is over and our new life has begun. Slowly and surely our new life creeps forward as we embark on it. It starts off where the old life left off – just as the new year starts where the old year left. We have all the baggage and problems that are leftover from the old life and the old year and nothing yet to show for the new life and the new year.

Our embarkation on this new life is not a trouble free road. After all the excitement wears off – usually at about the same speed as the excitement from the change of year – we start to realize that nothing really has changed around us. Perhaps we are different, but everything else is the same.   We have all the same responsibilities, all the same problems, all the same pleasures, and everything seems so much the same. What really is different? 

In our new life - just like the new year – the difference comes from the addition of walking with God. We slowly change our habits as we learn more about what pleases God. As we learn to spend more time in His word and in private prayer with Him, we begin to see our attitude towards things change. What used to be important is no longer that important to us. Our sense of self-pride fades away as does our former sense of accomplishment.  The tropes and ideals we had our former life set on wither away and are replaced by scripture and fellowship.  In our new life we find that happiness has been changed to become joy, and our joy comes from seeing the world as God sees it.

After some time passes, the new year isn't quite so new and the old year becomes more nostalgic as we remember the nice things that happened then, the memorable things. In our new life, it doesn't seem so new and some of the practices and habits we cultivates at the beginning so seriously start to be forgotten and some of the indolences from the prior life start to make headway burrowing into our lives. Much like a gym membership in the new year, we find that we are sleeping in more or watching TV instead of going to the gym to work out and keep our New Year's resolutions.  Every so often then, we need to refresh ourselves and remember the big change in our lives.  We need to remind ourselves of the passion we discovered, the joy we have, and the love we have learned to live constantly with. We need to see that yes, indeed, the old life has passed away and we are in the new life and therefore we need to make an effort to return to living in this newness of life.

So this new year, let us make an effort to constantly remind ourselves of our new life, of our new home, and of all the benefits we have now. Its too easy to let the world drag us down and grind us up, we need to make every effort to maintain our quiet times with God and focus on refreshing ourselves daily, so God's work through our lives is ever more clear.

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

                                                                                                              Francis R. Havergal, 1874.