By Marek Zabriskie
Most Americans make a New Year’s resolution. Have you made one? The number one resolution we make is to lose weight – to work off that bulge that many of us gain between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The second most popular resolution is to exercise more. So, we join the Y or frequent our health club.
Studies show that most Americans quit their New Year’s resolutions within five days after making them. That’s not a lot of time to lose weight or to develop six pack abs. Psychologists say that we quit because we have no one to hold us accountable. We make a resolution, but fail to write it down or tell anyone. So, it’s easy to give up.
But what I love about the New Year’s is that we are given a fresh start – a new beginning. During these first days after the New Year there is a sense of hope that we can recreate ourselves. We feel inspired and empowered to make changes and to reshape our lives. I think of Philippians 4:13, where we read, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
The fact is that many people feel trapped in uninspiring, unhealthy, or even chaotic lives. They feel as if God is either punishing or not protecting them or has abandoned them altogether or that they are never destined to find happiness. Mr. or Mrs. Right is never going to walk into their life or the perfect job that pays the bills will never be theirs.
After the New Year, however, there’s this glimmer of hope that we can retake control of our lives in positive ways. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we read, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, all things have become new… So, whoever is in Christ is a new creation.” That’s what a spiritual New Year is like.
The book of Genesis opens with the words, “In the beginning…” It’s the Church’s reminder that the new year furnishes us with a field of snow upon which we are free to make fresh tracks. We are free to dream, to imagine, and to seek joy as well as to avoid those things and those people who rob of our happiness.
Philosophers Aristotle and Locke described our lives as a tabula rasa, a blank canvas on which we are free to create. “Paint your life like a great work of art,” said Nietzsche. How creative are you being with your life? When you lose your creativity, you lose your zest, your mojo. Someone once said that most people die at forty, but are buried at 80. “The glory of God is a human being fully alive,” said St. Irenaeus. How alive are you?
“In the beginning…” Today is a great time to ask, “How do I want 2024 to be? What do I want to change? How do I want to grow? What changes will make this year different from last year or the last 20 years?” Take a piece of paper today and write down a few goals to ensure that 2024 is the kind of year you can be excited to live. Then share it with a few trusted friends or family members. Ask them to help hold you accountable so that you can reach your goals.
Select realistic goals. Instead of planning to exercise, pray, read the Bible, or study French for 90 minutes a day, set a goal of 10 minutes. Set goals that you can reach, surpass, and build upon. Think about something several times a week rather than every day. Otherwise, the first day that your plan collapses, you will feel defeated and be inclined to give up.
“In the beginning…” We’ve been conditioned to think in terms of doing. We are afraid of becoming slackers, and we fear not doing enough. If given a free afternoon, we clean closets or the basement or the attic rather than read a novel that might transport us and bring us joy. So, many of us have a tendency to work relentlessly. But what about committing a greater portion of next year to inactivity?
In his fascinating new book Vita Contemplativa, the German-Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Han makes the striking argument that it is inactivity, rather than activity, that gives human life its meaning, its value, and what he calls its “radiance.” He writes, “Without moments of pause and hesitation, acting deteriorates into blind action and reaction… Silence deepens the conversation. Without stillness, there is no music – just sound and noise… If we lose the ability to be inactive, we begin to resemble machines that simply function.”
“In the beginning…” We have just entered the Season of Epiphany, where we ponder those epiphanies that shine a light on God’s presence in our lives. Epiphany is the season where we celebrate the coming of the Magi – the Three Kings, who came bearing gifts. What gifts do you wish to offer to others this year?
Yes, let 2024 be your year of years. Come fully alive! Set some spiritual goals. Write them down. Share them with a few confidants and ask them to help hold you accountable to reaching your goals.
God has given you this amazing new year like a field of snow in which to make fresh tracks. What are you going to do with it? How will you let the Spirit guide you forward? You see, it’s about time. What will you do with the precious bit of time that God has given you?
The Rev. Marek Zabriskie is Rector of Christ Church Greenwich.
