The Importance of Healing Before the New Year

I’ve heard it said repeatedly, especially in the last couple of weeks. “I can’t wait for 2024 to be over. I’m so ready for the new year.”?

I’m not condemning anyone for saying it. I used to say something along those lines every year when it would get closer to the new year.?

But I want to recognize it for what it is - a trap.?

And I want to say this… “Everywhere you go, there you are.”?

What do I mean??

It doesn’t matter if you’re in 2024 or 2025. It doesn’t matter if it’s 11:59 pm on December 31 or 12:00 am on January 1. You’re still you. Your problems didn’t go away because the calendar changes. There’s no magical fix because the clock strikes midnight.?

That’s a trap.?

Now… is it wrong to be excited about new beginnings? No. Is it wrong to be excited about setting new goals and desiring better things for 2025? No. You’re talking to someone who loves to set goals, which I haven’t set yet for the new year. Life has been tough for the last several months, and I’m still recalibrating.?

Many parts of life stopped when tragedy hit my family in September, yet again. I’m still trying to catch my breath from it all. And I’ve experienced other tragedies and watched people I love hurt even more since then - and I still can’t wrap my head around all of it.?

It would be easy to say, “Gosh, I can’t wait for 2025. I can’t wait to get this year behind me.”?

But here’s the trap: All that pain that happened to you in 2024 doesn’t end in 2025. We don’t start writing 2025 on our checks (oh my goodness, I just dated myself) and expect everything from 2024 to disappear magically.?

No. There is still pain, and if you haven’t dealt with it, a new year does not make it disappear.?

Are you walking in unforgiveness in 2024, expecting it to just go away on January 1? It doesn’t work like that.?

Are you refusing to talk to someone about all that shame you’re dealing with, and you think it’s gonna go away in 2025? It doesn’t work that way.?

Is your marriage hanging on by a thread, and do you think January 1 will make it all worth fighting for? If you’re not willing to fight for it on December 31, another day doesn’t just change all of that. It doesn’t work that way??

Are you eating yourself into oblivion because life is hard, and you tell yourself that come January 1, you’re gonna hit the gym, go on a diet, and everything is gonna be great? You’ve already set yourself up for failure before you even started. It doesn’t work that way. Why? Because you’ve not dealt with the reason you’re eating yourself into oblivion. A new year doesn’t just change that. (I’ve never dealt with this problem.)

Everywhere you go, there you are.?

I’m not saying don’t get excited about a new year. Heck… we all should. It’s a new trip around the sun to keep moving forward in the dreams God has called us to.?

BUT…. if we don’t deal with the struggles 2024 brought, we’ll just be taking them into 2025, and when December 2025 rolls around, we’ll be saying, “I can’t wait for 2025 to be over. I’m so ready for the new year.”?

There’s still time in 2024 to ask yourself this question… “What can I do now to make sure I’m not carrying the same burdens and baggage into 2025?”?

Then, ask God to show you what He wants you to know about the healing He has for you. I promise He’ll answer.?

Let’s end 2024 well.?

Now… if you’ll excuse me… I’m gonna take my own advice…?