Starting over can be a real chore. Whether you’re navigating New Year’s resolutions or making a big life change due to necessity, it isn’t always easy to radically change. For some people, starting over may simply result from coming to faith in Christ for the first time in their lives. Regardless of your situation, we have some of the best motivational Bible verses about starting over.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
The key to starting over when it comes to your spiritual journey is to realize that your life is no longer your own. Each day we live from our conversion to the grave is in obedience to, and through faith in, Jesus Christ. It’s easier to change when we realize we have no ownership of our lives.
“The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom; and with all your acquiring, get understanding.”
Many New Year’s resolutions have to do with learning a new hobby or skill, but almost all fall under the greater category of bettering oneself. According to the Bible, there is no better way to do this than by pursuing Godly wisdom through every facet of life.
“When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.”
Perhaps you are starting over because the way in which you’ve been living is no longer viable. We each come to a point in our lives when it is time to change things up and/or mature. It’s perfectly okay to be a child, but when you become a man (or woman), it’s time to do away with the frivolous and shallowness of youth.
“Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”
Although we may have just told you not to act like children, you also must accept that growth is a process. If you have just come to faith in Christ, don’t expect to automatically be the Apostle Paul or Billy Graham. Likewise, your pursuit of eating healthier or training to run a marathon may have to progress in stages. Continual growth in a steady direction is a wonderful path to success. Here Paul is saying that we must hunger for the things of God as babies seek out the milk of their mothers. When you are starting over, you need to realize which things are beneficial to your growth and which you must “put aside.”
“Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Whether you are pursuing a new goal or continuing toward an already established one, know that nothing will give you strength quite like the Lord. If you rely on Him and work toward the finish line to which He has called you, you just may find your stamina reaching new peaks.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
New Year’s resolutions often fail due to a lack of planning. You say you want to eat healthier, but then you continue to visit the same unhealthy restaurants and buy the same groceries. On the other hand, we can also overly rely on ourselves and our own plans in our pursuit of real change. While still doing our part in the planning process, perhaps we can trust God to direct our paths this year.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
This is likely one of the best motivational Bible verses about starting over you’ll ever hear. When we commit to trust God and place our faith in Him, we are an entirely new creation. The same blood may pump in our veins but His sacrifice has placed new values and emphasis on our lives we could never understand before. Whatever bad habit you are seeking to quit this year or whichever method of discipleship you wish to pursue, rest easy in the knowledge that you are a new creation thanks to Jesus Christ.
“And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.”
At one of their darkest hours, God promised the Israelites He would bring them back home to the land He bequeathed to them many years before. The purpose of this was not only to make them happier or healthier, but to bring them closer to Him. Know that no matter what you are starting over from, He is able to draw you near and make you whole. He will replace your heart of stone with one of flesh.
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
There are plenty of motivational Bible verses about starting over spiritually, especially in the New Testament. As Paul states here, the biggest changes we should be making involve the ways we live and why we do so. We are to be constantly examining our actions and motivations all toward the purpose of better knowing the will of God.
“The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
While God may not change, His promises and provisions are new each morning. This is great news for those of us who are dealing with constant struggle during the process of starting over. Know that God has your back every day as you seek to live out the calling He has given you.
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the motivational Bible verses echoed by anyone who is going through a trial or time of restlessness. It’s important to remember here that life was not full of rainbows and unicorns when this was written. God is promising a plan for peace during a time of great pain. One of the lessons we can take from that is God’s insistence on playing the long game. You must similarly be in it for the long haul if you are looking to successfully start over.
“The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
For our purposes this is something of a companion piece to Proverbs 3:5-6. No matter what kind of planning you commit to or how tough your work ethic, things don’t always go according to plan. Trust in God more than you believe in your own plans.
“For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’”
Starting over always sounds good, but how often do we fail to do so because we don’t plan for the change? Jesus is using worldly examples in Luke 14:28-30 to signify the importance of seeking the kingdom of God first. We must be resolved to truly start over before we start the journey. This must also be true if we are hoping to write a book, start a Bible study, or complete a number of other pursuits.
“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
Starting over can sound appealing to us for many reasons, but we must remember that no matter what we do, all is to be done for the glory of God. That’s just as true for the mom who’s looking to get more organized as it is for the middle-aged man who is looking to launch his own company. We can always reinvent ourselves and proclaim the name of Jesus in the process.
“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
The last of our motivational Bible verses about starting over is a reminder that no matter how much we want to change about ourselves, there will always be at least one weakness we can never overcome. Instead of letting that silence or intimidate us, the Bible tells us to boast in our weaknesses so that we can feel the power of God working in our lives. Whenever you feel like you are not enough, remember that He is greater.
These motivational Bible verses about starting over show us the importance God’s word places on the idea of starting over. Whether you are reading this at the start of a new year or at some other time, we hope these verses help you along in the journey and push you to a deeper connection with Christ.
We all like to try new things or check items off a bucket list. Perhaps one thing you’ve always wanted to do is attend the K-LOVE Fan Awards. We offer an unforgettable experience for fans of Christian music, film, books, and sports. If you want to be a part of the ultimate night in Christian entertainment, click on the link below.
We know that making travel plans for you and your family can be a bit of a hassle. That’s why we wrote our own Nashville Travel Guide to help you out. Tennessee’s state capital is one of the fastest-growing cities in America, so come see what all the fuss is about.
