On December 9, 1914, in West Orange, New Jersey, a fire swept through several factories owned by Thomas Edison. The damage totaled millions of dollars. Nearly everything of Edison’s was destroyed, including papers and records of different inventions he was working on. Many people thought that Edison would retire because of his age when this happened, so they sent condolences and notes of sympathy. Edison’s reaction? “I am 67, but I’m not too old to make a fresh start.”
The truth is, it is never too late for us to start fresh. It doesn’t matter how old you are or how bad you failed. There is no doubt that we have all had losses in fires from the past. Some of those fires were started by others and, many times, we may have started our own fires. So we have a choice to make. Will I wallow in the mistakes of the past or will I get back up, dust myself off with the help of the Lord, and start again.
This article is not about how old you are nor about how you may have failed. It’s about change. Change of mind. Change of direction. Change of attitude. It’s about releasing the past and embracing the future. It is about my ability to understand that I will not let my failures define me. This blog is about never losing the capacity to start a new chapter in your life…regardless of how the last chapter may have ended.
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:18-19)
God is ready to do something new in your life, to give you a fresh start. He has forgotten the former things; you can, too. A new creation will spring up soon. Do you perceive it? Do you receive it?
Starting new is not about living in our mistakes but learning from them (Rom. 8:1). It’s been said that if we do not learn from history, we are bound to repeat it. So take inventory of the past, don’t process what others may have done to you, but process your actions and your reactions. Don’t focus on your mistakes, but on things you could have done better. Take an honest assessment, celebrate where deserved, ask forgiveness where needed, learn from it all, and move on. As important as it is to learn from our mistakes, it is equally important that we leave them behind.
You and I can not change anything from yesterday, but we can start fresh today doing what God has called us to do. He has a plan for your life, let’s allow Him to work out His plan. As a Christian, you are not just an ordinary person, but you are a child of the living God. You are an heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. You are not just a sinner, but you are a new creation in Jesus. You are part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. You are one of God’s chosen people. Don’t let yesterday define your tomorrow. Today is your fresh start day.
Mindful of His Ways 