“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” 1 Samuel 16:7
Many stores and organizations try to convince us that we need to change for the New Year. We often see signs that read, “New Year, New You.” While this is an effective tactic at trying to get people to change for the New Year, it often doesn’t last. A common New Year goal is to lose weight. Gyms are especially busy in the month of January because of everyone’s New Year goals.
However, come February and March, these individuals are long gone. Due to either getting injured or not seeing the results they wanted, they have decided to give up and will most likely try again... next year. Whether our New Year's goal is to lose weight or to make more money, we need to start looking at things from a biblical standpoint.
The idea of “New Year, New You” was created by the secular world. At its very essence, it is telling us that we need to change who we are. Our weight, body size, or income is not what it “should” be and we should change that. What if instead of always striving after a “New You,” we started striving to discover who we already are in Christ?
Why does January 1st have to be a reminder every year that we are not good enough? Why can't it be a reminder of the grace and hope of the God who will continue to mold and shape us into His image?
Feeling as though we are good enough is rooted in many of our hearts and can be hard to heal from. With gimmicks such as “New Year, New You,” it is not surprising that we continue in the toxic cycle of hating ourselves. God does not want us to live with this type of thinking anymore. He wants us to know that we are already enough in Him. God doesn’t tell us we have to lose weight, shrink our bodies, or make more money in order to be enough. His priority isn't in manmade checklists but in cultivating our hearts to better represent Him.
In fact, He tells us we are already complete in Him (Colossians 2:10).
No longer do we need to buy into the gimmicks of becoming someone new each year. We are already enough as we are because of the Lord. Jesus loves us as we are, and His love will never change for us. No matter what our weight, body size, or income is, Jesus loves us. He doesn’t call us to change in order to fit in with the standards of the world.
When you are tempted this year to buy into a “New Year, New You” scheme, I want you to ask yourself a few questions:
-Why do I need to change who I am?
-The world is trying to tell me I need to change, but what does God say?
-Will changing my (fill in the blank) truly make me happy?
By answering these questions, we have a pretty good idea of whether we need to make the change or not. God calls us to turn away from sin, but He doesn’t call us to change who we are as His children.
God created each of us with our unique personalities and traits. When He created us, He didn’t make a single mistake. The world tries to tell us we have too many blemishes or flaws, yet God calls us beautiful. We are made in His image, which attests to our inherent beauty and worth (Genesis 1:27).
From 1 Samuel 16:7, we see that God does not look at our outward appearance—He looks at our hearts. In other words, we see the truth that He does not look at the things that people look at, such as their appearances, body size, weight, or financial income.
A person can be beautiful and have it all by the standards of the world, but have a heart of wickedness and evil. In the end, they are void, empty, and lost. This is why we must not focus so much on the “New Year, New You” mentality because it is only based on a person’s outward appearance.
We need to work on our hearts and ensure they are beautiful in the eyes of God. By following the Lord’s commands, being obedient, and loving others, we will have hearts willing and ready to obey God.
Let's pray:
Dear Lord, help me steer away from the fads of the New Year. In You, I already am enough, and I’m dearly loved. I don’t need to change the way I look because you look at my heart, not my outward appearance. Help me to be loving, caring, and compassionate this year, and help me to know that I don’t have to change myself to be loved by You. I praise You, Lord. May this year be filled with growth in You. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/LightFieldStudios
Related Resource: Anxiety: Practical Steps for Healing in Christ
Anxiety is debilitating and can leave us feeling overwhelmed, alone, and defeated. But what if there were practical steps and biblical truths that could lessen the load and aid us in our freedom journeys with mental health struggles? Pastor and Licensed Professional Counselor Susan Thomas joins me to discuss this today! Like what you hear? Subscribe to Bought + Beloved with Kirby Kelly on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Friday, 24 January 2025.
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