Whew! What a whirlwind! Christmas Day has passed. The worship, the carols, the presents, the food and the family gatherings have all occurred and are now fresh memories in our minds.
Our seasonal celebrations are not over quite yet, though. We still have the New Year which will probably be filled with football, maybe a little hunting, and definitely more food, family and friends.
My question to you is, have you given any thought to the prospects of the upcoming year? If so, what are your thoughts? Relief? Optimism? Fear? Excitement? Dread? Hope? Anxiety? Maybe even all of the above?
It is reasonable that our feelings and thoughts of the new year would trend negative or at least be all over the place. We do live in this world and we experience its effects each day. I mean, the past few years have been the most unusual and test-filled of my lifetime. Probably yours, too. What is not reasonable, however, is that we would dwell on those feelings and thoughts. Why not? Because it is sin.
Jesus explained in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-30) that it is not merely our actions, or even our words, that will be judged. Our thoughts will, too. Paul teaches, "...for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." (Romans 14:23). If your thoughts are of fear, dread and anxiety, it is because you have chosen to ignore God's promises and have chosen to trust in yourself. Because of this poor choice, you are now realizing your inability to ensure your own future and you are panicking because of it.
What must occur to turn this tide of sinful thoughts into one of faithful confidence? You must hear God speak and you must believe what He says. "So faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17).
God speaks through His Word. Read it. Listen to it. Meditate on it. Talk about it. Pray over it. Find someone who preaches it clearly and rightly and listen to them.
The more you know Him, the more you will trust Him. Take Paul for example. He says, in I Timothy 1:12, "But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me."
Paul knows Jesus intimately and has now become convinced that He will get him safely to that day. What day? The last day.
So, buckle up and enjoy your ride. The roller coaster of your life will come with a mix of smooth and bumpy, fast and slow, high and low, flat and loopy, go and eventually, stop. You don't know when your ride will end, so embrace every moment...To the Glory of God!
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