The First Step of the Year

I’ve noticed something about the New Year. We don’t actually need more motivation. We need better movement. Most of us don’t fail because we don’t care. We fail because we overthink, overplan, or wait for a cleaner moment that never comes.

Matthew 9:9 reads: “Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his work collecting taxes. His name was Matthew. Jesus said, ‘Come along with me.’ Matthew stood up and followed him.”. This has been sitting with me as this year turns. Jesus walks by a man doing a job everyone judged him for. No speech. No explanation. No conditions. Just an invitation. Come along with me. And Matthew stood up.

What strikes me is not that Matthew followed. It’s how simple the moment was. Jesus didn’t ask him to fix his reputation. He didn’t tell him to transition slowly. He didn’t say come along with me once you’re ready. He called him where he was. And Matthew moved.

That’s the challenge for this year. Not more ideas. More obedience.

The first action is Recognize. Jesus noticed Matthew before Matthew noticed Jesus. God’s direction often shows up in ordinary places, not dramatic ones. Some of the clearest nudges from God in my own life didn’t come during sermons or conferences. They came while answering emails, sitting in meetings, or walking my neighborhood. Quiet moments where a thought wouldn’t leave me alone or a conviction gently surfaced. You don’t have to change your address to recognize God. You have to change your awareness. This year requires slowing down enough to notice what keeps surfacing, what stirs your heart, and what God may already be pointing out.

The second action is Respond. Matthew didn’t ask follow-up questions. He didn’t negotiate timing. He stood up. I’ve had seasons where I knew exactly what God was asking me to do, but I delayed because I wanted clarity before commitment. What I’ve learned is that clarity often follows movement. Obedience clears the path. Delay clouds it. Every time I postponed a hard conversation or necessary decision, it didn’t get easier. It got heavier. Delayed obedience may feel wise, but it quietly becomes disobedience. This year invites us to move when God speaks, even when the details aren’t fully clear.

The third action is Release. Matthew had to leave his seat. That seat represented income, identity, and security. Following Jesus always costs something familiar. In my own life, release has looked like letting go of rhythms that once worked but no longer fit the season I’m in. Saying no to good things so I could say yes to the right ones. Releasing labels I had outgrown but was still carrying. You can’t follow Jesus forward while clinging to what keeps you stuck. The question worth asking is simple and uncomfortable. What am I sitting in that Jesus is asking me to stand up from.

This year doesn’t need a perfect plan. It needs courage to recognize God where you are, faith to respond when He speaks, and humility to release what no longer fits. Jesus is still walking by ordinary places, still calling people by name, still inviting them into a better story.

The only real question is whether we’ll stay seated or stand up.