January is a very busy month for most life coaches. As a Christian Life Coach, we are frequently contacted every January by people who want to pursue goals now that it’s a new year.
We hear familiar stories of things not going as planned last year. They had set goals and were excited about pursuing their dreams, but by February 1, life had taken over without their new goals becoming reality.
Sound familiar? Perhaps in 2024, you had a goal to finally pursue God’s calling to become a trained and certified Christian Life Coach. But here you are, a year later, and that goal is still nothing more than an unrealized dream.
There’s a beautiful fresco painting in the Votive Church in Vienna, Austria, called “Healing the Man with a Withered Hand” by Carl and Franz Jobst. The painting is based around a man who met Jesus, in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The event is described in the Gospels of Matthew 12:9-14, Mark 3:1-6, and Luke 6:6-11.
The painting portrays the scene when Jesus finds this man whose right hand had long ago been damaged. The Bible doesn’t reveal how his hand had become damaged. Was it because of an illness? An injury? Who knows, but what we do know is that the man had dreamed for years that he would be healed.
We can only guess how difficult his life had been. It must have been nearly impossible to support his family without the use of his hand. If he was a fisherman, he wouldn’t have been able to fish; if he was in construction, he wouldn’t have been able to build; if he was in agriculture, he would have had great difficulty in growing and harvesting food for his family, etc.
Most likely, he would have had to resort to begging or relying on others’ help with everything.
His longing to support his family had become a distant dream.
One can imagine that he must have felt discouraged, worthless, stuck, and unable to move forward.
On top of that, there was a conflict taking place in the synagogue. Jesus was surrounded by Pharisees who were upset and objecting that Jesus would help the man because it was the Sabbath.
The Pharisees were likely acquainted with this man and had seen his suffering for years, but had not helped him at all.
Their legalism overrode their compassion, and their hatred for Jesus overrode their love for their fellow man.
The man knew who these men were and may have wondered if Jesus would even help him because of this opposition Jesus was facing.
But when Jesus saw the man, “He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ The man did so, and his hand was completely restored.” (Luke 6:10)
In fact, it was just as agile and useful as his other hand! Can you imagine how excited he must have been? He would now be able to care for his family and fish or build or plant or whatever the Lord had called him to do.
The Greek word used there for ‘restored’ is ‘apokathestemi’ – meaning “to restore to soundness and good health, and to restore authority, to be brought back again”. Did you catch that?
“To restore authority” – the man would now be an authority on what? Second chances? New beginnings?
Or better yet, an authority on whom? Because of his personal encounter with Jesus, he would be able to spend the rest of his life sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Can’t you just picture him going from house to house in his neighborhood? “I have to tell you what Jesus did for me!” “Come listen to how He saved me!”
This man had seen the opposition and hatred that Jesus had endured, and he knew first-hand what a loving and kind Savior Jesus was.
Jesus was this man’s author of second chances and new beginnings. What a story he had to share.
How many of you are walking around with withered up goals and dreams?
Perhaps 2024 was a really difficult year. Maybe it involved illness (emotional or physical), injuries (emotional or physical), or grief over a loss (of a loved one, a relationship, a career, etc.)
Your longing to pursue God’s calling may feel like a distant dream.
Or perhaps you felt surrounded by opposition when you tried to think about pursuing your dreams and goals? Maybe you felt shut down and discouraged and unable to move forward.
You may be wondering if it’s even something worth pursuing or maybe it should go back on the shelf of distant dreams.
Ask yourself - Are your goals and dreams in alignment with God’s vision for your life?
Are they in agreement with your Core Values?
If you’re not sure, it can be helpful to reflect back on last year.
Here’s an exercise to try.
Find a quiet spot with your journal or notebook and respond to these 5 questions –
In 2024, my faith grew in these areas….
In 2024, the Lord taught me….
The Lord wants me to leave these things behind in 2024….
Looking at 2024, here are the things I’m so grateful for….
In 2024, here’s what I learned about God…
Once you have a chance to reflect on 2024, wait on the Lord. Allow Him to speak into your life.
Wait and see how the Lord will restore your withered-up dreams, or maybe even bring you new dreams.
You too can become an authority…on His second chances.
On His new beginnings for you.
On what a Faithful, Loving God He is.
Contact us today if you are ready to begin your second chance journey.
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