The phrase “auld lang syne” actually means “old long since,” which sounds like random words, but really it’s the Old English way of saying “days gone by.” It’s a reflection of the past, thinking about what has come and gone…
Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot in days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne my dear, for auld lang syne;
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for days of auld lang syne.
In other words: Should we forget those we’re leaving behind as we usher in a new year? Should we just dismissively say “oh well, those are days gone by”? No: We should celebrate and remember the days gone by, and raise a toast with cups of kindness, and remember fondly, the past of days gone by. That’s the song. That’s why it’s so appropriate to sing as you ring in the new year: It’s a new beginning for you. You survived the year. Some, however, did not. Should you leave their memory behind as you enter into a new year? No. Remember them. And in that sense, take them with you.
So let me say this as we close the book on this year: I hope you HAD a great year. I hope it was filled with wonderful experiences. I hope it brought you great joy. I hope you drew closer to Christ, but if not…If your year was lousy, if nothing went right, and if you feel further away from God than ever, let me tell you…
There’s nothing you can do about it!
You can’t change the past. You can’t go back and try this year over. What you CAN do is take this bad year you had, and—as the year draws to an end—cast it to auld lang syne. Start over. Leave the worst of your past behind you, and start the new year on the right note, with you desiring to draw close to Christ. If you do, He will draw close to you (James 4:8). Bad days will still happen next year, you can be sure of it, but if you are close to Christ, those bad days will not ruin your year because your life will belong to God. I hope you’re heading into this new year with excitement and enthusiasm. My prayer is that God will guide you every step of the way, blessing you as you are faithful, and rebuking you when you’re not.
God bless!