The New Year is a good time to clean our spiritual binoculars and get a vision for what’s ahead. The “Big Five” in Africa refers to the five most iconic and sought-after animals for people who are on safari, which include the rhino, elephant, leopard, buffalo, and lion. I suggest that in our hunt for a fruitful year, we go after the “Big Three”—planning, persistence, and the promises of God.
Planning
Making progress this year may mean reevaluating our endeavors and starting over again. A friend of mine who is a carpenter in Japan told me of how he was gifted a ryokan (a traditional Japanese-style inn) to create a Christian community center there.
What a deal! He eagerly went to work on replacing old termite-eaten wood and crumbling weak structures. He spent a lot of time and money restoring it, but soon realized that it would have been cheaper, faster, and more efficient to demolish the whole building, cart off all of the debris, and start from scratch.
In retrospect, he would have done it much differently. Yet, despite this misjudgment, he kept at it until his hope was realized and he got the center up and running. Giving up and folding was not an option.
Jesus said it is sometimes better not to patch up old garments using new material (Matthew 9:16). There are times when we must leave the old behind and start again afresh. The New Year is a good time to decide what our priorities will be. It’s helpful to determine where it ain’t in order to identify where it is, what we will take on and say “yes” to and what we won’t.
One way to avoid wasting time, effort, and resources in projects this coming year is to follow Jesus’ advice to begin with the end in mind and see if you have enough to finish the job before even starting. (See the parable of the tower in Luke 14:28–30.) When I used to live in Manado, Sulawesi, I saw many buildings in the early stages of construction that were left decaying in the tropical heat and rain. When the clove harvest came in, people had some cash, so they started to build a house with their newfound financial resources. Unfortunately, though, they didn’t have enough money to finish, which was a great disappointment.
Persistence
It’s a given that we will sometimes blow it this coming year, but those failures can be steppingstones on our path to achieve a future goal. I have found that sometimes I just have to forgive myself and get up and try again. When doing archery, if I miss the target, I just look for the arrow, recover it, and then have another go at hitting the mark.
The book of Proverbs tells us that a righteous man falls seven times but still gets up (Proverbs 24:16). This proverb emphasizes the idea that though we face challenges and setbacks, we will continue to get back up on our feet and persevere. It is a message of resilience and hope, encouraging us to keep going and growing despite our failures. Another proverb tells us that two are better than one, for if one falls, he will be lifted up (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10). We all need friends and mentors. As the old song goes: “I get by with a little help from my friends.” Getting constructive feedback on our endeavors can help us to succeed at our next attempt and avoid repeating mistakes.
In John C. Maxwell’s book, Failing Forward, he gives many historical examples of people who failed, but through persistence and having a long-term vision of growth, eventually achieved their goals. Think of people like Lincoln, Einstein, Edison, Beethoven, and Stallone. Sometimes they discovered something even better than what they originally intended in their “happy accident.”
Promises of God
A wonderful thing about the New Year is knowing that no matter what circumstances we may face in the year before us, God is with us, surrounding us with His love. We have the added confidence of knowing that God has promised to lead and guide us through tough times. Psalm 23 pictures the Lord as a good shepherd leading us to green pastures, beside still waters, and through and out of the “valley of the shadow of death.”
When Israel was led into captivity, God promised them a brighter future through the prophet Jeremiah: “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:11–14 NIV).
God has a good plan for each one of us this coming year. We just need to check in with Him daily and follow Him step by step.