If you’re reading this, you made it through 2020. Congratulations!! What didn’t destroy you has the potential to make you stronger. And what we learned in 2020 has set us up for a powerful 2021, even amidst all of the limitations we may encounter this year.
Limitations do not have to limit our potential, but can actually be a catalyst for breaking free from old patterns that have truly been our greatest reason for a stagnant life. It’s not life that was limited, but “normal” life. For that I am most thankful for 2020 — not for all the bad things that happened, but that it got the whole world out of the rut it was in. We often get so focused on little things that eat our time and energy, when they are merely superficial things that, in the long run, don’t really matter.
2020 helped show what those things were, because we had to stop many things we were doing and reevaluate everything. In fact this is still happening.
What can we expect in 2021?
No one saw 2020 coming, so it would be a little bit audacious to imagine what 2021 will be like. But I believe the biggest secret to thriving this year is not in what will or will not be allowed, or even what happens with Corona Virus or other world events.
The secret to thriving in 2021 is centered in our response to whatever happens. We can’t control the circumstance in life, but we can control our response. We can embrace the limitations and through that, find new ways to thrive.
In 2020 we lost many precious people and many precious “normalities” we had become accustomed with. We certainly can’t take anyone or anything for granted. Ultimately, I can’t hold on to my life, the life of precious ones near me or my way of life. But I can continue to look what can’t be taken away from me: my relationship with God the Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ his son. His Word and promises gave me something to stand on, a source of joy and hope amidst a world full of dark news. And I know that even if my life or the life of my loved ones would come to an end, it is only a passing on to the glorious presence of God where I can enjoy life as it was always meant to be: without pain, sin, sickness, disease, corruption, war and all the effects of our fallen state.
If you would like to know more about a relationship with God that can do this, I invite you to join us in reading through the New Testament of the Bible this year. The New Testament is the part of the Bible that talks about Jesus, his life, death and resurrection and what happened afterwards as a result. To say that it is life-changing is a huge understatement.
The great part of reading through the New Testament is that it takes only a couple of minutes each day. When you read, ask God the Creator to reveal Himself to you. Discovering how much God loves you and that He desires a relationship with you is life’s greatest discovery. Here is the link to this reading plan: https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/13233