On Beginning Well: Four Things to Lean Into in 2024
By Paul M. Gould
Another New Year. Another Beginning. Another chance to set goals, exercise more, eat less (or better), start a new hobby, or re-invent yourself. Or not. We have a funny relationship with New Year’s. For many, it is a time of hope, of new beginnings. For some, it is just another year gone by, and a continued sense of restlessness and futility. For most, we are probably somewhere in between. I happen to like beginnings. And so I like January. Each year, January provides me a season to reflect on my life: where I’ve been, where I am, and where I am headed. I do set goals. But I try to keep them realistic. And I’ve learned not to be too hard on myself.
As we consider the new year, and the possibility of a new beginning, I want to talk about leaning. According to the dictionary, “to lean” means to “be in or move into a sloping position.” I love this idea. To lean in a certain direction suggests that we are progressors, we are creatures on the way. We’ve not arrived yet. We are not perfect. Rather, we are leaning toward something. What ought we lean toward this year? Here are four suggestions.
First, lean into the Christian story. There are many stories that compete for our attention and invite our participation. They whisper to us. They promise us an identity, an authentic self. But there is only one story, the true and good story of the world, in which we can discover our true name and our true identity. And in that story, we are named by Another. Importantly, as J. R. R. Tolkien writes, the Christian story “begins and ends with joy.”[1] The gospel truly is good news. There is a story that understands us. There is a story in which we can find life. Lean into that story. And find the joy God offers along the way.
Second, lean into the kind of person you want to be. I love this idea.[2] We don’t need to be perfect. Of course, none of us are perfect. But we do have real agency. We can grow. We will grow. The only question is in which way? Will we be formed more into the image of Christ or less? Go ahead and set your goals. But remember that you are not perfect and you are not a failure if you don’t reach your goals. Rather, each day, ask God to help you lean in the direction of the kind of person you want to be. There is great freedom in this posture. There is grace to be found too. We are progressors along the way, as we journey in joy and to Joy.
Third, lean on others. We were not meant to be lone-ranger Christians. We really do need each other. We long to be known and we long to know. So, don’t go it alone. Lean on your spouse, your friends, and even your colleagues. This posture encourages humility as we admit we need others. We are not meant to be radically autonomous agents raging alone against the machine. Rather, we are created to be interdependent on one another. This is a challenge for many. To be transparent, this is a challenge for me. But I’m reminded of the fact that we need each other. So lean, lean on me, and I’ll lean on you.
Finally, lean on God. Take some time this month to reflect on your past. How do you see the hand of God in your life? Thank God for his goodness, in the good times and in the difficult times. Reflect also on your future: one day all will be made right. One day you will be perfected. One day you will resurrect into a life where there is no disease, decay, destruction, or death. We’ll experience the unmediated presence of God. And there we will enter into the fullness of Joy. Given our past and future, ask God to help you depend on him for this day. And the next, and on and on . . .
Notes
[1] J.R.R. Tolkien, “Essay on Fairy Stories,” in The Tolkien Reader (New York: Ballantine Books, 1966), 68.
[2] I first heard the idea of leaning in the direction of the kind of person you want to be from the philosopher Sabrina Little, as she shared with our MA students at Palm Beach Atlantic University. This idea beautifully captures the Christian life, I believe.
— Paul M. Gould is an Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Director of the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including A Good and True Story, Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, and The Story of the Cosmos. He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. You can find out more about Dr. Gould and his work at Paul Gould.com and the Two Tasks Institute. He is married to Ethel and has four children.
Image by Mollyroselee from Pixabay
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