The phrase “back to square one” has become a commonly used expression meaning “to go back to the beginning.” There are several claimed origins of this phrase such as: board games (like Snakes and Ladders) or other children’s games (like Hopscotch). Whatever the origin, the meaning describes a situation where one has to start over completely in whatever task.
It is that time of year once again when we change our clocks by an hour. With that change, it has been suggested that this is a good time to check on those things in life that require periodic adjustment. The most common thing in this semi-annual ritual is to check the batteries in the smoke detector in our homes. While these devices can be life savers in providing warning of a fire, they only work with a live battery, and one seldom thinks about the batteries in a box hung on the ceiling.
In regard to life there are many platitudes that have become common sayings. For instance: “Life is what you make of it” or “Opportunity is just around the corner.” For the Christian, the choices and opportunities of life have a deeper meaning than of those in the world, with a focus not just on this life but also on the next. Walking in the worthy manner before God and sharing the Gospel of Christ are of the greatest purpose and importance.
In life there are many cases where events do not happen suddenly but instead over a steady progression of time. This ebbing change may lead to cultural, political, or some other form of upheaval, which is a great shift taking several very small steps. This is also true of many who engage willfully in sinful practices. It is not common for someone to dive into the deepest depths of depravity, but to instead follow a path which, by attrition, ends oneself in the exact same place.
A new year is one of those times when it is common for people to look forward in their lives and to make plans for the coming year. While it is true that such an attitude is possible at any time, with the annum of another year it is a fitting time for taking stock of one’s past and where one would like to be in the future.