It may not be a new book
But it’s a new page;
A new season
A fresh start
Not to rewind
Not to rewrite
Or undo the past
It’s a fresh chance
To make a difference
Though stuck with same;
To do a little better
To give a little more
To go the extra mile
For what we believe
For what we hope for:
To take that extra step
That could meet and make
Yesterday’s dream today’s reality.

If you are reading this, congratulations! You made it to 2018. For some of us, life may have taken a dramatic turn that we must come to terms with. It may be dawning on the majority that life is not holding out anything different or new from what has been there for a while now. After amazing New Year celebrations, you may be slowly realizing that it’s all the same old problem waiting to be tackled. Irrespective of where and how 2017 left you, the ability to see 2018 is a gift that should not be taken for granted.

It may not have come to us with new opportunities but guess what? To the living, there is hope. Hope that with God, nothing shall be impossible for those who believe. Hope that dreams still come through no matter how long it takes and how tough it gets. Hope that if we do not cast away our confidence, we will enjoy the rewards of persistent faith. Not empty faith that folds it’s hands expecting magic in the name of miracles. Not faith that is so blinded by past it sees nothing different in the New Year. Not faith that assumes and presumes.

For 2018 to be different, we must be wiling to stretch our faith farther than we did in 2017; to believe much more and work harder towards that which we believe. I learned a principle in college that delivered consistently outstanding results even in my career: I studied meticulously like there was no grace, and when I was done, I believed absolutely like I hadn’t studied. I used up my brain-space and once done, I used up my faith-strength. The result is that for every exam, my problems wasn’t that there was a question I couldn’t tackle excellently. It was choosing the ones that took less time and earned the best grades. Same applied at work stood me out despite mountainous challenges.

As I recall the issues that demand my attention in 2019, I call to mind this proven principle of working so hard and leaving no stone unturned like there was no other way to make it, and trusting God so completely like my work won’t deliver the expected excellence except God’s grace breathes on my effort. Reminded at this time, this formula I am hoping to re-engage this year as I trust God going forward. Maybe that’s the formula you need to make a difference in 2018. Maybe it’s something similar that works best for you and with you. Don’t forget that though life may not be a new book, the pages of 2018 are blank, waiting for you to fill in the spaces. Whatever will be written will be your choice, your voice.

Whatever your preferred approach, bear in mind that in order to get different results than you did last year, you may have to do things differently. More may be required of you. May God’s wisdom guide us on what is needed to set us apart and stand us in excellent stead in this New Year, amen!

Blessings
Glory!