…and the whole world breathed a collective sigh of relief that the year 2020 was over.
Ahh, the New Year! A fresh start. A clean slate. Leaving the old behind and stepping out into the open landscape of a new year. It’s a perfect opportunity to set goals for how you want to live and what you want to accomplish in your life.
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Do you keep them? In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra check in with each other on how they did with their 2020 resolutions and then share a Jewish and a Christian take on New Year’s resolutions.
Ezra responds to Carly’s questions about Jewish thought surrounding the New Year, discussing:
- Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year
- How, for Jewish people, the New Year is always tied to God being on His throne in Heaven
- The importance of mending relationships
- Shifting our priorities
- Approaching goals dynamically, and
- Forgiving ourselves when we miss the mark
Carly shares a Christian perspective on setting spiritual goals for the New Year, mentioning:
- The Great Commandment
- The Shema
- Making practical goals based on Scripture
- The importance of God’s Word and how to put it first
- A tithe of time, and
- A short Bible verse containing three goal ideas
They also discuss how in Jewish tradition, every month is celebrated, the concept of making shorter-term resolutions and how such a difficult year as 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic can affect our 2021 resolutions. You’ll be encouraged to carry over lessons from 2020, but not its disappointments, into the New Year and consider new possibilities.
Words you might learn in this episode
Rosh Hashanah, Shema
Scriptures referenced in this episode
Matthew 22:36–40, Deuteronomy 6:4–5, Joshua 1:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, Exodus 12:12
Hear other fascinating and encouraging conversations between “a Jew and a Gentile” wherever you listen to podcasts or go to www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org for more information.
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