Tag: new year

The blog’s title is from a childhood story—not just a Taylor Swift song. The story is about a farmer with an old mule. One day, the mule fell into the farmer’s well. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the hassle of saving.

Instead, he gathered his mates and told them what had happened, enlisting their help to haul soil to bury the old mule in the well and relieve its misery. Initially, the old mule was in a right state of panic! But then, a thought struck him as the farmer and his mates shovelled soil. It dawned on him that every time a load of soil hit his back, he should shake it off, not letting it weigh him down, and step up, using it as a platform to rise higher. And that’s what he did, blow after blow.

“Shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up!” the mule chanted to motivate himself. No matter how painful the blows or distressing the situation seemed, the mule fought panic and kept shaking it off and stepping up!

It didn’t take long for the old mule, battered and exhausted, to stroll triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him instead freed him, all because of how he handled his adversity. This is a powerful reminder that our challenges can lead to incredible growth and transformation when faced with courage and faith. The challenges that seem to bury us often hold the potential to benefit us—and others.

Shake Off

As we begin a New Year, I encourage you to shake off the following:

  1. Shame: the things that embarrassed or discredited you.
  2. Failures: As Zig Ziggler said, “Failure is an event, not a person!”
  3. Hurts: Is this year the time we finally end nursing what upset us?
  4. Regrets: Will they define, confine, or refine us?
  5. Successes: It may sound strange, but some past achievements can hinder future progress.

Step Up

Here are a few valuable suggestions that can help us shake these things off and step up:

Closure: Write down the things you want to shake off and then burn or bury the piece of paper or create your own ritual to separate yourself from them.

Forgiveness: Relinquish your desire to get even.

Resolve: New habits develop through perseverance. It’s not always easy to shake off our past and step up, but with determination and commitment, we can create new habits and attitudes to help us overcome our challenges and grow stronger.

Rely: on God and others. (James 5:16; John 15:5, Phil 4:13, Eph 6:10). Ask the Holy Spirit to give you strength daily. Remember, with God’s strength, we can overcome any obstacle, and with His guidance, we can find the courage to shake off our burdens and step up.

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is shaking it off and stepping up. See your troubles as stepping stones instead of tombstones.

The Scriptures

Sacred scripture is replete with the stories of people who experienced all kinds of trouble. God’s people are not exempt from life’s trials. I encourage you to read the accounts of people like Paul and Silas, who were imprisoned while serving God, or Jeremiah, who was put into a well and left to die because people didn’t like his insights. Then there’s Joseph, who was rejected, falsely accused, abandoned and overlooked before being made Egypt’s prime minister.

During Egypt’s seven years of plenty, God blessed Joseph and his wife with two sons whom Joseph gave Hebrew names:

Manasseh means “Causing to forget.” Joseph said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.”

Ephraim means “double fruit.” Joseph said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

Never Forget

Scripture teaches us some vital lessons that we’d do well to remember, especially when life is challenging:

  • God is never unfaithful or unkind, even when circumstances seem otherwise.
  • God’s promises are true in His timing, not ours.
  • We aren’t responsible for the behaviour or attitudes of others, but we are accountable for our own!
  • God’s grace is always sufficient for every situation!
  • God is always present, even when you feel abandoned.

In his study on Joseph, Pastor Keith Krell wrote, “If Joseph hadn’t served the cupbearer and baker, he would have never heard and interpreted their dreams. If he hadn’t interpreted their dreams, he would have never interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams. And if he hadn’t interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, he would have never been placed in a position to deliver God’s people. And if he hadn’t delivered God’s people, the Messiah never would have come to save us from our sins! Remarkably, our salvation was, in part, tied to Joseph’s willingness to serve his fellow prisoners when others may have been swirling in depression, asking, “Why me, God?”

What future blessing depends on our willingness to shake it off and step up?

 

One of the first Bible verses I read this year was Isaiah 43:18-20,

“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? 
I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland so my chosen people can be refreshed.”

God was about to lead his people back to their homeland after being captive in Babylon. In the preceding verses, God reminds them of the power he used to set them free from earlier captivity when they were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. With Mighty strength, God brought his people out of Egypt, through the desert and into the Promised Land. But in Isaiah 43, God says, “forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new.”

There is a potent life principle here: sometimes, we must forget the greatness of past successes or the shame of past failures to embrace God’s new things in the present and future.

Anything from the past holding you back needs to be forgotten;

otherwise, it becomes a hindrance.

But this doesn’t mean we are to forget everything that’s happened in our lives. There are lots of things that we should remember.

Recollect Fond Memories

Recall family celebrations and great friendships, the good things in life, and the cherished memories that still stir emotions and gratitude. Things like running through the sprinklers on a hot summer’s day, climbing trees, pillow fights, and laughing so hard that your stomach hurt.

A few years ago, Christie and I took the kids to Malaysia for a holiday. One day the heavens opened for a tremendous tropical storm that left large pools of water everywhere. The kids and I spent ages jumping in the puddles. It was so much fun. Scuffing your feet through piles of autumn leaves is equally satisfying—fond memories.

Remember Things to Rectify

The Bible has lots to say about restitution & forgiveness (see Proverbs 14:9; Matthew 5:23-24). I love the story of Zacchaeus, the chief Tax Collector of Jericho (Luke 19:1-10). Here’s one of the most despised individuals in his town, who made millions by ripping off the poor (sound familiar?). Amid the grumblings of the battlers, Jesus went to Zacchaeus’ house. We’re not told what they chatted about, but whatever Jesus said hugely impacted this rich, crooked, lonely little man.

Listen to Zacchaeus’ words, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” If I have cheated anybody! Of course he had, and paying back four times the amount would have been equivalent to pumping millions of dollars into Jericho’s economy, making a massive difference to the needy.

Imagine the impact – I bet the complainers stopped whining when the money arrived! And all because a man remembered and decided to do something to correct the wrongs of the past.

A Personal Story

My first job after high school was working in a record store in Perth. At night, I studied radio announcing at a Technical college. By day, I managed the cassette department, and so I primarily worked alone. During this time, I helped myself to money from the till and stole some records and cassettes. Eventually, I was found out and sacked. I denied any wrongdoing, but I knew I was guilty.

Fast-forward to the next few years. I became a Christian and went to Bible College to train for pastoral ministry. I studied Christian Ethics in my second year, and the lecturer taught about restitution. I felt strongly convicted of my stealing but reminded myself that all my sins were forgiven when I became a Christian. But the guilt wouldn’t budge, so I went to my lecturer to explain my dilemma.

He encouraged me to phone my ex-boss, admit guilt, apologise, and seek to repay what I had stolen. I did so with fear and trembling. She answered the phone, and I got a frosty response when I told her who was calling. I did as my lecturer had suggested and offered to repay the money. All I had was the semester’s fees (about $1,000), and I asked if that would be sufficient. She said it was, so I sent that to her as a money order, along with a tract on becoming a Christian. I know…but I was young and zealous!

I didn’t hear from her again, but it didn’t matter. I had made amends like Zacchaeus. I had remembered a past wrong that I had the power to rectify. The sense of God’s presence was overwhelming.

Do you have unresolved issues from the past? Do you need to make restitution?

Recall the Great Things God has Done

“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds” ~ Psalm 77:11-12.

In Scripture, God instituted a feast or an altar whenever he did something incredible. Consider the Passover Feast that reminded people of their mighty deliverance from slavery. Jesus instigated communion to remind us of his death and resurrection (Luke 22:19).

In the Tanakh (Old Testament), there are several altars of remembrance so that the recollection would anchor people in truth.

Consider the story of Joshua leading the people across the Jordan and into the promised land (Joshua 4). “They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the Lord had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there.” The altar was a reminder of God’s power, presence, and redemption. Whatever challenges they faced in the future, the altar was a constant memorial of who God was and what God could do.

I encourage you to think of the times God has been particularly present for you. Consider those memories as altars to anchor and inspire you in the present, especially when you encounter difficulties.

A Final Story

Before he became the apostle Paul, Saul was one of the most distinguished religious leaders in Israel, “advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age” (Gal. 1:14). In his letter to the Philippians, Paul outlines his Jewish credentials (3:3-6), which were extremely impressive. But he writes, “whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” And he had lost much ~ prestige, reputation, finance, property, and family. His wife and children likely abandoned him when he converted from Judaism.

But, Jesus had found him and called him, and he wouldn’t look back. In fact, “one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” God was doing something new, and Paul wouldn’t miss out because of regrets, mistakes, or successes.

Imagine the grace the church needed to exert towards Paul, the guy that had imprisoned and killed some of their relatives. This same man was now preaching in their churches.

Forget what is behind, strain toward what is ahead, and press on toward the goal. God is making pathways through the wilderness and creating rivers in the dry wasteland to refresh you. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?