Everyone wants to thrive.  We want to be world changers, innovators, change agents, and people who will alter history for good.  We desire to live extraordinary lives that leave an impact on the next generation.  Believers pray, “God use me to make a difference in this world.”

While those are noble desires, we must remember that the Bible sometimes instructs us in simpler ways.   We are called to make disciples of all nations and be witnesses to the ends of the earth in ways that turn the world upside down, but we are also told to stand firm, persevere, hold fast, and never give up.  There are times in our faith when life gets complicated.  Some days, weeks, seasons, and years it is enough to hang on tight to what we believe.  There are times it takes courage to keep swinging our fists as we fight the good fight.  Sometimes it is enough to survive and not thrive.

For some of us, the past year was tough.  The good news is that you are still here and trying to do your best for God.  This could be the year you come back stronger than ever before and change the world.  If not, keep doing the right things and live to fight another day.

My social media feeds have been ablaze with everyone’s goals, plans, and dreams for the coming year. The past year was rough on so many people that they vowed to have a better one. The belief is that if we throw ourselves into the right routines and rituals, we can make the next year better than the last, or at least have some resemblance to normal.

I want to suggest that as you are writing your “to-do list” of the coming year, you also have a “NOT to-do list.” There are some things that I hope you do not try to recover to make things feel normal again. Quite possibly, the existence of your long list of things to accomplish is the first step in the wrong direction.

There are innumerable things we can do in the coming year. We can develop routines that give us control over the things we can control. My one word of warning is not to attempt to return to normal if your normal was not godly or healthy.

One of the most significant issues COVID-19 fixed for many people was the chronic busy lifestyle people try to live. We rush from activity to activity with our phone in hand as we attempt to be productive every minute of the day. COVID-19 forced us to slow down and change our schedules. We made time to sit and read, eat together, play a game, study the Bible, put together a puzzle, pray, or have a family night.

My encouragement is for us not to load our schedules and fill up every minute with activity. Use the past year to achieve a new normal – one with space for relationships with God, family, and one another.

Expectancy is defined as the hope that something better will happen in the future.

2021 is full of expectancy. Like almost everyone else, I am filled with excitement to see us throw the old calendar in the trash and start a new year. Yet, I know that God was at work last year, and he will continue to build his kingdom in ways that startle and surprise.

The only thing different in the coming year will be how humans behave. That part is always unexpected.

My expectancy is a hope that people will do something better in the future. May His kingdom come through you and me.

Over the course of a year, I read and listen to hundreds of ways to improve my life. I have heard how to be a better human, son, husband, brother, father, preacher, employee, neighbor, leader, visionary, boss, and Christian. There is a long list of possible ways to improve over this next year. Honestly, most of them are good advice. I have kept articles, saved notes, and tried to keep track of all the superb instructions I have received.

But here is my encouragement for you: Focus on only 2-4 things to work on this coming year. That is it. You may not be able to improve every area of your life this year, but you can work on a couple of things that will make you a better Christian and a better person.

Last year I focused on two things: People and Positive. I needed to spend more time with people and develop a more positive attitude. That was all I tried to do, and COVID made it a challenge in every area of my life. So, for 2021, I am putting my attention on the same two areas. I am merely adding one more thing to my list: Soul care. This year was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually draining to me, and I need to take some time to recharge my battery. These are all the things I hope to accomplish in the coming year. Everything else is just an added blessing.

The person who attempts to do 12 things usually does none of them. The longer the list, the more likely you are to quit and usually quit quickly. The more focused your plan, the greater your chance of success. What if this year you tried to do less so that you could accomplish more and one year from now be a better follower of Jesus?

Before you make all your resolutions and plans for the next year, be sure to spend some time reflecting on the past year. Socrates is credited with saying, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” This means we need to think critically about ourselves while analyzing our behaviors and their results.

What successes and failures did you experience in the past year? Have your relationships improved or become distant over the months? Have you tried any new ventures or challenges that have been rewarding? How have you grown spiritually in the twelve months?

This type of personal scrutiny will help you see areas you need to improve and places you are doing well. They will help you know what to keep doing and what to stop doing in the coming months.

Be sure and take 15 minutes this week and think carefully about the past year. These few moments of reflection can be the fuel you need to make the coming year a time of growth in every arena of your life. Don’t waste the experiences of the past year or the opportunities of the coming year. Please make the most of every year because we get so precious few of them.

The words for 2020 were quarantine, isolation, and distance. These words mean alone, separate, and unconnected. I understand that these were thought to be needed to control the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, but they came with a mental, emotional, and psychological toll. Loneliness, depression, anxiety, and possibly addiction could be the words for 2021.

One of my goals for 2021 is to make positive connections with people in every way possible. There is a variety of ways this could happen, from social events to private conversations over coffee. Decide now, make a plan, find a way, and open up your heart to people this coming year.

God created Adam, and he said it was not good for man to be alone. Humans are social creatures, and being isolated is not good in the eyes of the one who made us. This virus might hurt people’s bodies, but being alone can hurt people’s souls. Sure, take any and all precautions to stay healthy but don’t limit your health to only your physical body.

You need people. I need people. We need each other.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

-Luke 2:1-19 (New International Version 2011 Edition)

“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

The great Church leader Paul writes a letter to the believers in the city of Galatia.  He makes a statement in what is now our fourth chapter about the incarnation of Jesus.  He says, “God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” This is a description of Jesus coming to earth that we celebrate this holiday season. 

The preceding words to this statement I find fascinating.  He says, “When the set time had fully come.” This passage is translated in other versions of the English Bible as, “In the fullness of time.” Jesus came to earth as a baby at a set time, or when the right time occurred or in the fullness of time.  That means that God had a particular point in history where it was the absolute best time for Jesus to be born. 

While we may think our time is better because of our technology, Jesus was born at the right time.  There are several possible reasons for this, including the Roman peace, the road system built by the empire, the standard and precise Greek language, and the Jewish religion’s dominance.  For whatever reason, God saw that the time had come for his son’s advent and to begin his mighty work of redemption. 

For me, the simple lesson is not just about the timing of Jesus’ birth but also about God’s precise timing to bring the maximum impact.  If he knows that about the coming of Jesus, then he most certainly knows it about his work in your life.  Whatever he is doing in your life, this is the perfect time for it.  He knows that this is the moment that could change your life forever.  All you have to do is respond in faith. 

If Christmas teaches us anything about God, it is that he acts at the right time, in the perfect way for the best possible outcome.  He did it in the history of the world, and he can do it in your life too.  May that one thought make you merry this Christmas. 

In the first few years of our marriage, my wife and I went to a Christmas tree farm and picked up our Christmas tree.  When I say, “picked up,” I mean we walked over the farm looking at dozens of trees until we decided on the one we liked.  I then cut it down and dragged it to the front of the farm, where I paid the attendant before loading it into the truck we borrowed to get it home.  At home, I shook the tree outside, trying to remove dead needles, and then pulled it through a doorway in our kitchen.  This process alone resulted in a huge mess that we discovered our vacuum could not handle without plugging the hose.  Once inside, we attached the stand and then tried to set it in place and make it straight.  The first tree was the result of a six-hour adventure before we ever hung the first ornament.  Then came the daily checking of the water and the growing concern of a fire hazard in the corner of our home. 

The whole project was a hassle, and after the first year, we discovered we could not put it up until a week before Christmas, or the removal became piles of needles and hours of clean up.  The second year went better, but the approaching baby was going to cause more issues.  Finally, by year three, we bought an artificial tree and used it each year after that.  We could put it up early and had no problem with water or needles while the whole thing is flame resistant. 

Over time the artificial tree has given way to other store-bought greenery and flowers made of silk.  Yesterday we even installed batteries into fake candles to use this Christmas.  No longer do we have anything real that we use to decorate our house for the holiday season.  To me, this is all just fine as it is safer, easier, and cleaner for our family. 

My fear this time of year is that we have not only traded in our real trees for fake ones, but we have also exchanged our real joy for temporary smiles.  The more Christmas becomes about the gifts, the food, and parties, the more artificial it becomes.  This week is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, first and foremost.  The message of the incarnation is that the long-awaited messiah came to earth to accomplish God’s work.  We celebrate this because we live on the other side of his coming, death, and resurrection, and we know the blessings Jesus brings in his birth.  The angel declared to the shepherds that night, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)

If your Christmas feels artificial this year and full of fake smiles, it might be because you have missed the point.  It is possible that you have exchanged the real Jesus for a plastic manger that has no meaning to you.  If you want this to be the best Christmas of your life, then you need to rediscover Jesus and the work he came to do for us.  Some things are better when they are fake, and joy is not one of them.