"Just Another Year?"

Another new year is upon us here at the University of New Hampshire. Freshman moving in, parents saying good-bye, roommates being met for the first time, cook-outs, and floor meetings. Or maybe you are a returning student - you know the ropes a little more, and you’re just getting settled in your new place over at the Gables or down on Madbury Avenue. Either way, this is a new year.

So what are your hopes and dreams? What is going to make this year different than last year? Is it your resolve to work hard (or harder) in classes? Is it your new boyfriend or girlfriend? Is it a promise of a new car from Mom and Dad when your grades look good?

I seem to come into every year committed to having it be bigger and better than last year. It’s almost like New Year’s, isn’t it? We have huge dreams, but sadly, it seems that within a few weeks, we have shifted into survival mode. We live off of day-old bagels from Holloway (not that we take food out of the dining hall). We roll from bed in our "Well, they look like pants" pajamas and find a seat in the back of the classroom. Getting all A’s turns into, "Can’t I take this class pass/fail?" And getting up to get to the gym suddenly becomes "That place is WAY too crowded anyhow."

The real issue for me is not the dreams - it’s all about follow through. And as I think about it, it seems like follow through is directly related to motivation. Why do I always seem to find a way to eat three meals a day but I don’t always find time to call that friend, to spend time studying my Bible, or to work out? The reality is that I’m more motivated to eat my chow than I am to do some other things. And certainly it’s not just food. Whatever we do, we do because we choose it over other things. Ultimately, it comes down to priorities and allegiance. Whatever I am allied to, whatever I really value and believe in - that’s what will show in my life.

Jesus shares these words with His followers one day. "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." Though at this time He was referring to money, He was reminding them that they had to be allied to God first, knowing that all the rest of life would make sense and fall into place. Augustine said that God made us for Himself and we are restless until we find our rest in Him.

So how about you? Who or what are allied to? Be sure it’s something solid. Life doesn’t pull any punches, so get ready - here it comes.