After the tree is down and the decorations are boxed, I just want to rest. There is nothing wrong with resting, but I frequently mistake laziness for rest. My natural lazy drift is downward into bad habits and discouraging thought patterns. So Julie and I start every new year by looking back and then looking ahead. First, we take stock of the previous year: what we did, how we grew, the joys and the challenges. Then we spend time imagining the upcoming year and lifting our dreams and goals to God in prayer.
As I look back, I remember the constant temptation to give up and give in. 2019 was challenging because money was tight, I didn’t enjoy my previous job, the mosquitoes were horrific, we found mold in our crawl space, and we weren’t able to spend quality time in any real community. I felt like giving up my grip on God’s call and giving in to just getting through another day. I sat in the bathroom that I had destroyed feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of each task of the remodel before me, and I heard God whisper, “How long will you want to do this by yourself?”
God, in His unfailing love and mercy, reminded me that even when I want to be alone, I am never alone. I turned my heart and mind back to Him. I asked Him into my day-to-day. The rest of my year was completely different. My problems didn’t magically disappear, because abundant life isn’t grounded in financial security and our physical well-being. It’s a posture of submission and joy that overflows despite circumstances.
If I don’t let others in, avoid time with God, and keep my head down, 2020 will be just like 2019, but God’s vision for 2020 is better than I could imagine. Critical moments will come, and I may make mistakes, but I will not make them alone. God has uniquely gifted all of us in His body, and together 2020 could be the most fruitful year ever. Not the easiest and most comfortable, but the most fruitful. I’m looking forward to what God has planned for my family and our church.
– Matthew Straw