Welcome to 2021
There are likely very few people who were sad to see 2020 go. 2020 marked a time of dramatic change brought about by Covid, political polarization and strife, economic upheaval, racial discord, social isolation, and violence in the streets. For many, they long for the day when all of this ends and we can go back to life as we knew it, but the truth is, we don’t really know if it ever will go back.
All of this impacts mental health. Throughout 2020, crisis hotlines were overwhelmed by a dramatic increase in calls. The need for virtual counselors has increased exponentially. Suicide rates, substance abuse, child abuse and neglect, and other self-injurious behavior all increased. With all of the unknowns of 2021, this is not likely to get any better.
A term I have heard a lot recently is the word “reset”. Reset is often defined as adjusting something in a new or different way. Some businesses have done a reset in how and where they do business in order to continue to operate. Some who have lost jobs have done a reset as they move into a new career path. Individuals and families who have suddenly lost a loved one have had to do a hard reset in adjusting to life without that person in their lives.
As we move into the great unknown, potentially into a period of time unlike anything else we have experienced, I want to suggest a spiritual reset. This year, I want to challenge everyone, myself included, to look at their spiritual life and consider how we can change it in such a way to bring us closer to God and inspire us to be a positive influence on the world around us.
What is the answer to depression? Jesus. Abuse? Jesus. Anxiety? Jesus. Racism? Jesus. Crisis? Jesus. Jesus is the answer to everything that life throws at us. The more time we spend with Jesus, the more we will be able to deal with life. Will all of our problems vanish? Not at all. The Bible clearly tells us that we will have trials, problems, and downright calamities. What changes is our mindset. We need to reset our mindset so that we aren’t focused on all of the problems, but we are focused on the One who can help us deal with them.
Our goal, as Christians, should always be to bring glory to God. How do we do this? By serving others and by being a witness. Consider a person who lost a spouse. There is grief, loneliness, frustration, and possibly even fear of how this will impact them. All of these are natural and expected human feelings. Now consider what happens when, through the grief and fear, that person praises God and demonstrates love, peace and joy to those around them. That is a wonderful testimony to the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ in their lives. I’ve seen this and I’ve seen the impact it can have for good in this world.
As Christ followers, it is very easy to get stuck in a faith rut where our relationship with our Creator becomes routine. I’m guilty of this myself, especially during a year of virtual church and navigating the challenges of daily change. This year, let us commit ourselves to doing a faith reset and coming to know our Savior in a whole new way.
To do this, I would invite you to start with a walk through the Bible. On this site, we have a section called “Why Jesus?” This section contains a series of songs that I was inspired to write over several months that walks through the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. Each week you will receive a link to one of those articles as well as a devotional and some related practical tips for staying mentally healthy and being a force for good in our world.
If you know of others who would benefit from this study, please send them to www.SongOfVictory.com and have them subscribe at the bottom of the home page.
As we enter this time of great unknown, let’s not go alone! Let’s be sure that we are not only taking Jesus with us, but that we are letting him lead us through. 2021 is not unknown to God. He knows the beginning from the end. Let’s reset our spiritual life and let God be our great navigator! And let us be a light to a world that so desperately needs it!
God Bless!
Songs of Victory
Resources
Introduction to “Why Jesus?”
