Human beings use many things as markers in their lives.  I guess I should say, “in our lives,” since I am also a human being.

We use birthdays, summer vacations, harvest seasons, Christmases, and the really big one: New Year’s day.  Such markers give us an opportunity to both reflect on the past and plan, postulate or predict the future.  We may even set resolutions for ourselves, such as the breaking of old habits or the establishing of new ones.

It is an ancient practice, rooted deeply in the past of just about every culture and people.  The Bible records quite a few annual markers in the feasts and other national observances established for the people Israel by God through His servant Moses.  The great feasts and sacrifices were times to gather and reflect and mark progress or failure.

Progress and failure is a part of every human life.  We are all of us often made aware of the areas in which we are maturing and growing, and the areas where we seem to be making no progress at all.  Each person is different, when it comes to success and failure, in that we each have a different set of strengths and weaknesses.  None of us are perfectly strong in all the areas of our lives.  And no one is a failure at everything.

The peculiar mixture of strong points and weaker points in each life is what makes us better fit for community and family and teamwork than complete isolation.  Whether we like it or not, God created us to live and work in harmony with other people.  We benefit from others who are strong where we are weak, and we contribute the most where our strengths can fill the needed spots in a larger group or team.

This is true physically, where we can see that some of us move faster while others are may be slower but more powerful in holding a newly gained position.  it is true mentally, where some are quick to think of new ideas or to see the solution of a problem, yet others are better gifted with the common-sense application of those good ideas.  It is true emotionally, where some may have great courage to fight and defend the right, where others may be more apt to labor in the face of adversity toward a lasting peace.  It is true spiritually, where some may have the faith to literally move mountains while others, who feel weak in faith, are able to simply stand their ground no matter what they think or feel.

God created every human soul that walks the earth.  He made us with many of the characteristics we have.  And He gives each of us the choice — not once, but every single day, and every moment — to develop true character we need in order to press forward in life and to succeed in the things we need to do in this life.

The starting of yet another year is here.  It is a clear marker for us to use in any way we choose.  We can count up all the ways we failed to accomplish what we tried to do before.  We can use it to measure all the success we have had.  Or we can use it to make note of where we need to grow and how we need to set ourselves for the year to come.

Resolutions are never really in vain.  Not even when they fall flat.  But no positive change is easy.  At least, let me say that no positive change is without some effort, maybe even work, on our part.

To continue sitting in a chair requires very little effort.  But to rise up and walk away from the chair does require some action.  To remain in a city or village or isolated cabin requires less effort and less planning than the making of a journey into another region.  To remain in bed takes less effort than getting up to face a new day.

All we really need for any of these actions is a little motive, some inspiration, a desire.  If I am thirsty in my chair, I will not hesitate to rise up and go get something to drink.  I do not even think of the effort as work, unless my body is injured in some way or very weak from age or illness.

If I am going to see a dear friend, or to visit a place that I love, I will be glad to make the journey away from my home to a new region.  If I am expecting good things in the day, I will not hesitate to rise from bed and go to meet and enjoy those good things.

If progress and growth has not already been planned for us (by other people) in the new year, we should consider making those plans for ourselves.  God created all living things to grow and to produce their proper fruit.  When we stop growing and stop producing the good things we were created to accomplish in life, we tend to lose the joy and motivations for the days we must face.  We lose the excitement, the adventure, the enthusiasm of the day.  Only by growing again and by accomplishing new and worthwhile things can we regain the hope and joyful anticipation we once had as children waking in the morning.

God has equipped every human soul with a powerful mind, an amazing body, and the dreams and desires to do good and worthy things.  Sometimes our dreams and minds are crippled by life’s experiences.  Sometimes our body may also be injured or otherwise weakened by difficulties experienced along the way.  When such things happen, we need to look deeper to find the hope placed in our inner hearts by the Lord Himself.  That hope will enable us to move forward in spite of the struggle we face, in spite of the weaknesses we now have, and in spite of the injured limbs, weakened spirits, troubled minds we now possess.  God will give us whatever we need to do what He has placed in us to do.

The marker is here, in front of us all.  The year 2007 has arrived.  Let us rise up and face it with great joy and anticipation.  Let us make the journeys that we need to make and do the work that is required for positive change.  Let us not give thought to the labor necessary to do what we are created to do.  Whatever the individual gifts God has give each of us, let us use these gifts to glorify Him and to help others in the adventure of life.

God’s best to each and every one.

Jim