In gratitude to God for his mercies in the year past, and in prayer to God about the challenges of the year ahead, let us remember at all times that we belong to the Lord.

Consider that John Calvin wrote about the impact of this belonging on our Christian lives:

"We are not our own; therefore let our reason and our will not rule in our counsels and what we have to do. We are not our own; therefore let us not set it as our goal to seek what is expedient to us according to the flesh. We are not our own; therefore let us forget ourselves as much as possible, and all that is about us. Next, we belong to the Lord; let us live and die to him. We belong to the Lord; let His will and wisdom preside in all our actions. We belong to the Lord; let all the parts of our life be referred to Him as their unique Goal.

"O how that person has profited when, knowing that he is not his own, he has taken away the lordship and rule of himself by his own reason, to give them over to God! For as pleasing themselves is the worst plague that people have to destroy themselves, so the unique protection of salvation is not to be wise in oneself, not to will anything by oneself, but only to follow the Lord. Therefore let it be our first step on the ladder to withdraw ourselves from ourselves in order to apply the entire strength of our understanding to God's service."

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion: 1541 French Edition, translated by Elsie Anne McKee (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2009), pp. 685-686.

May you have the best New Year ever!