A Year In Review ... Kind Of

Well, it's that time of the year again.  You know what I'm talking about.  The time when everybody and their brother's cousin makes a post talking about their life over the past year. 

It's a time for people to look back and reflect on the highs and lows of their lives.  If you had a great year it's the time that you're free to rub it (gently) in everyone's face.  If you had a crappy year it's a time to reflect on the lessons that you've learned, as well as to get some additional support from your friends. 

I have to admit, even I was tempted to do this.  After all, it's freeing to look back at the highs and lows of the past year and re-experience them in our memories. 

As I was contemplating doing this I began to think - I know, dangerous - and a very important question entered my mind.

Why one year?  What makes one year so significant?  Why don't folks do a month, week, or day in review?  Okay, some people do, but honestly, who reads them?  What makes a year so special? 

A year is 52 weeks, 360 days, 8,765 hours, 525,948 minutes, or 31,556,925 seconds.

Yes, I did just post music from Rent in my blog.  I'm as shocked as you are! It just seemed to fit, so go with it. 

Anyways, back to my main point (wait, did I have a main point?) Why a year? 

It's our human nature to look back.  Our past does not define who we are going to be, but it does explain who we are now.  Looking back at every single day in review would be tedious and time consuming.  That's why we choose a year.  In a year we can become a completely different person from who we were.  In a year we can accomplish so much - or so little.

Let me put some things in perspective:

You know who Jesus is, right?  It's a pretty cool dude.  We like Jesus.  He did so much while he was on earth.  Jesus changed the world. 

Jesus was 33 when He was crucified on the cross.  He accomplished quite a lot in 33 years.  Here's the kicker - Jesus was 30 when he started his Ministry.  So everything that Jesus did - all the change He caused - was done in three years. 

Yes, Jesus was God Incarnate, but so?  Use Jesus as your example.  We can either live the next year in a way that doesn't inspire change in the world, or we can be the change that we want to see - Just like Jesus was.  

Are you ready to live the next year of your life in a way that's God honoring and bold?  If not, why not?  What's stopping you?