Looking up to my older friends, it once seemed to me that women in their late twenties suddenly fell into good practices. Many I know valued (and even enjoyed) eating healthy. A young mom I admired always woke up before her kids to workout. The older women in church seemed to know a ton of Scripture by heart.
I assumed there was a moment when those sorts of things just happened…
Like on your 26th birthday carrots suddenly sound as tasty as cake, or when you’ve reached the mom-of-two milestone your muscles start aching to lift weights. Silly as it seems, I kind of thought that all those older women knew God’s Word so well just because they were older women.
As it turns out, good changes don’t usually happen by accident or as a matter of course. They have to begin.
Starting well is a decision, and it’s one made day by day.
I realize now that living life well often comes with recognizing and seizing opportunities to start something new and worthwhile. A new habit. A new friendship. A new commitment to Scripture….and then the next day, starting that habit up, calling that friend, opening His Word, again.
Though we often wait for life to force us to change, part of being someone who starts (and lives!) well is recognizing that, regardless of our external circumstances, something’s always changing. Always ending. Always beginning. But we have a say in how we participate.
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” -2 Peter 1:3
As believers, this matters even more. God’s Word likens life to a race, to a path, to a way. Giving us free will, God gives us a say as we navigate.
Giving us salvation, freedom, and the Holy Spirit, God gives us what we need for living well- day by day. Choice by choice. Start by start.
There are many Bible-words and concepts that teach us about this gift of getting to choose to start well over and over again.
The beginning of wise living is fear of the Lord.
The straightening of the path is acknowledging God in all our ways.
This race run well has an aim: Christ.
New life involves putting on the new self.
Although we are wasting away, we are inwardly renewed day by day.
God’s grace is sufficient though we continually fail in our weakness.
Good is made for His glory out of everything- even our sloppy starts and fussy finishes.
His mercies are new every morning.
Living each day as if we have a say and an ability to live to God’s glory means that we will always be-beginning. Let’s not grow weary- let’s learn to start (and restart, and then start again) well.Â
I’m taking 4 weeks to look into God’s Word for wisdom on living as one starting well. It would be a joy to have you join me.
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