Begin again. Or not.

Begin again. Those words come to mind in early January. It is a time when many people set out to begin again. It is as if we will magically turn back time to a setting when we were better behaved, more aware of our healthy choices, kinder, stronger, more disciplined.

I am reminded of the childhood song one, two, buckle my shoe; three, four, shut the door… as it works its way up to nine, ten, begin again! The words invite us to replay the song again and again. There is no variance. No new words, no additional verses. We count through the progression and then begin again. And again. And again.

People talk about the promise of beginning again, but I find the whole idea of starting over completely disheartening. I have no interest in reliving, rehashing, revisiting my yesterdays. Of course I have things I would enjoy repeating and there are definitely things I would do differently, but I'm confident I would find new ways to mess things up no matter how many retakes I was given. Starting over again is moving backward. I simply don't believe we were designed for reverse.

When Jesus came to bring Life and bring it to the full – he didn't require his followers to begin again. He invited them instead to be born again. I wonder what the difference is?

I spent New Year's eve playing a new video game with some of my friends. I was not good at the game. In fact, I was amazingly bad. Every time I came to the same spot my character splashed into a pond, ending my turn. I continually pushed a button to start over, only to succumb to the same splashing end again and again. No matter how many times I began again, I was not getting anywhere new.

I have had that same experience in life when I have approached the gift of salvation as a “begin again” button. I treat God's grace as a ticket to begin again from the same place I started from – yet from there I fall, slip, stumble, plunge, and feel the discouragement of not getting anywhere new.

But being born again has a different result. Being born again is not a return to where I began, rather it is entry into a new life –a life firmly established in the person and power of Jesus Christ. No longer am I left on my own to make the same mistakes and trip on the same challenges. Now as I journey forward, my feet are guided by the path-maker himself. Am I perfect? No. But am I stuck in the endless loop of trying and trying harder? No again! When I receive the true gift of grace, which is Life to the full, I find I am ever transforming into a new creation. I am building trust in the giver of this new life. I am failing, but never beyond his gracious grasp. I am far beyond my abilities but drawing deeply upon his accomplishments.

This new year, as you are tempted to accept the opportunity to begin again – hear instead the words of Jesus invite you to something far more precious and full. “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” I pray you join me as I seek the kingdom of God – and by his grace and life, rejoice that in Christ we are born again.  

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2Corinthians 5: 17