Entering the New Year Anchored, Not Anxious

 

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                  Lord, you are my portion…you hold my future.
                                                                         -- Psalm 16:5, CSB

The turn of the calendar invites reflection. A new year often awakens both hope and pressure—the hope that something good might begin and the pressure to somehow become better versions of ourselves. However, Scripture gently redirects us away from self-reinvention and toward faithful pursuit of God, grounded not in our own resolve and self-determination but in His character.

The apostle Paul reminds us that Christian maturity does not mean arrival. “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect,” he writes, “but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12, CSB). Paul’s honesty is freeing. The Christian ought to enter a new year without pretending that we have somehow already arrived and without being paralyzed by what lies behind. We press on—not to earn God’s favor, but because Christ has already claimed us. Past failures do not disqualify us, and past successes do not define us. What matters is the direction of our lives toward Christ.

As we look ahead, though, uncertainty often feels heavier than expectation. We do not know what this year will bring—its joys, its trials, or its losses. Yet Scripture reminds us that the future is not unoccupied territory. “The Lord is the one who will go before you,” Moses told Israel. “He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged” (Deuteronomy 31:8). We, as Christians, therefore, should walk into the unknown with confidence, not because the path is clear, but because the Lord is already there with us. When we set the Lord always before us, as David says, we are not shaken (Psalm 16:8).

That confidence should shape how we live. Rather than scattering our energy across countless spiritual goals, Paul models focused faithfulness: “One thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14). The new year does not require dozens of resolutions; it invites renewed devotion to Christ. Spiritual growth often comes through one area of obedience, repentance, or trust. When our hearts are fixed on Christ, small steps taken in faith carry eternal weight.

Scripture also reshapes how we think about time itself. Instead of measuring our lives by productivity or achievement, Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts” (Psalm 90:12). Life’s brevity is meant not to create anxiety but to bring clarity. Each day is a gift entrusted to us by God. Faithfulness matters more than busyness. Obedience matters more than efficiency. When we number our days, we learn to live with urgency without panic and purpose without pressure. How are we going to use each of the days that the Lord has given us this year for His glory?

At the center of this perspective is an anchor for the soul. David declares, “Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future” (Psalm 16:5). The believer’s ultimate security does not rest in circumstances improving or plans succeeding, but in the unchanging faithfulness of God Himself. Because the Lord is our inheritance, we can face uncertainty with joy. And because Christ has conquered death, our hope extends beyond this year into resurrection life and fullness of joy in God’s presence forever (Psalm 16:11).

All of this means that a Christian should begin the new year anchored, not anxious. We press on without pretending we have arrived. We walk forward knowing the Lord goes before us. We pursue focused faithfulness rather than scattered effort. We number our days with wisdom. And we rest in the unshakable joy that the Lord Himself is our portion. Whatever this year holds, we face it with confidence—not in ourselves, but in the faithful God who holds our days and walks with us every step of the way.

So, as we begin this year, this kind of spiritual encouragement is good for the soul. We should be reminded that God has not left His people to face the days ahead with vague hope or borrowed optimism. He has given us His Word—clear, steady, and sufficient—to shape how we think, how we walk, and how we trust Him. The passages below are offered not as resolutions to be mastered, but as anchors to return to again and again. They invite us to fix our eyes on Christ, to walk wisely with the days we are given, and to rest in the God who goes before us and holds our future.
 
Five Passages for Devotional Encouragement in the New Year:

1. Philippians 3:12–14 — Pressing On Without Pretending We’ve Arrived (see my recent Sunday sermon on this 12/28/25).
Teaching/Study Points:

• Christian maturity is marked by pursuit, not perfection
• Growth flows from grace—Christ has already taken hold of us
• The believer is freed from both pride and shame
• The Christian life is forward-leaning, not backward-looking

New Year Emphasis:  

• The gospel allows us to begin again without denial or despair.

2. Deuteronomy 31:8 — The God Who Goes Before You
Teaching/Study Points:

• God’s presence precedes His people into the future
• Fear is answered by God’s faithfulness, not certainty
• Obedience flows from assurance, not anxiety

New Year Emphasis:

• We do not step into the unknown alone.

3. Philippians 3:13 — One Thing I Do
Teaching/Study Points:

• Spiritual growth requires focus and intentionality
• Faithfulness is often concentrated, not complicated
• One area of obedience can reshape an entire life

New Year Emphasis:

• God often uses simple, faithful steps more than dramatic plans.

4. Psalm 90:12 — Numbering Our Days, Not Our Goals
Teaching/Study Points:

• Life’s brevity should produce wisdom, not fear
• Time is a stewardship, not a possession
• Faithfulness matters more than productivity

New Year Emphasis:

• Living wisely begins with humility about our limits.

5. Psalm 16 — Because the Lord Is My Portion
Teaching/Study Points:

• God Himself is the believer’s inheritance and security
• Joy flows from delighting in God, not controlling outcomes
• Resurrection hope anchors present faithfulness

New Year Emphasis:

• The greatest blessing of the new year is not what changes, but Christ Jesus who walks with us.  “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age,"  
  says Matthew 28:20. "For he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you," Hebrews 13:5.
  
  

"Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   -- John 3:3

Have you been born again?  The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that the wages of sin is death.  However, there is Good News!  The Bible also says that the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23 and 6:23).  Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, why not?