Fame may sometimes come instantly; wealth on rare occasions comes instantly, but real success is not instant. Those who rise upon waves of instant success can fall just as suddenly upon dismal sands of failure. Proverbs 28:19 can put you in a position to achieve long-term success, from getting out of the starting blocks to grasping the possibilities of a new and exciting tomorrow.
Do you know where you’re going? Do you have any idea about where you’d like to be when 2021 is concluded? After the passage of yet another year will you still be doing nothing more than merely riding it out; will you be doing anything more than just existing? What about when you reach 2023 or 2025 or 2030? The journey to someplace wonderful starts now. So does the journey to no place. Start the journey to someplace wonderful right now.
The beginning of each year is often used as a way of measuring progress, that is, where a person has been headed. In fact, the New Year is a terrific place for starting over. It is an occasion designed precisely for a renewal and/or a fresh start. I don’t know if Paul ever preached a New Year’s sermon, but I do know that two pithy phrases appear in Philippians 3:13 that give profound insight for any successful beginning or new renewal; phrases that are intensely significant for starting over.