It’s a whole new year, we need to learn how to write 2013 instead of 2012, Oh and the world ended so here we are in the aftermath of the end of the world or at least the end of the year. New years eve is a traditional time of repentance, maybe not in the traditional sense but in the sense that we stop, reflect over our life, where we have come and where we wanted to go. For most of us this results in a sort of dissonance or dissatisfaction. A feeling that we are not in the place we wanted to be either physically or spiritually. This reflection often leads us to make new years resolutions, unfortunately they often centre on purging vices out of our life (as if that would automatically raise the quality of life or get us where we wanted to be).
True repentance is reflecting over our lives, recognising that we are not where aimed to be (acknowledging how we missed the mark) and then actively changing our direction and starting to walk towards this mark. Repentance as we see it portrayed in the pages of scripture does not require regret (although that may happen to) but it does require a change in ones ways, a change of direction.
As I can see 40 fast approaching this year, in a sense this will be a year of reflection and repentance for me. What does my life look like, what does my faith look like, what does my marriage look like, what does my parenting look like, what does my career look like? How far or how close am I to my vocation, my calling, that which I was created to be?
So here is my resolution, to reflect, and to repent. Not just on New Years eve but every day, to seek a path that will lead me to the mark, the prize of becoming that person that I was created to be. To become me!
