- Welcome to 2022!
While most of us are probably glad to put 2021 behind us, a new year awaits. I’m sure we all have some kind of idea of what we’d LIKE it to be (no Covid, no masks, just getting on with things), it will be what it will be.
Not very helpful, I know But it’s practical.
Thinking about 2022 and plans, a Bible verse comes to mind.
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” — James 4:13-15
This verse is a grounding verse. It reminds us that we are not in control of our future. So we can plan all we want, but that doesn’t mean that we’re going to get it.
On the other hand, there is comfort in those verses that our future is in the hands of God. And we need to recall that He loves us, and that He’s already done so much for us (on Calvary). So it’s a reminder that since we’re already relying in faith in Him for our eternal future, it’s a relatively small step to rely on Him for the year ahead.
James teaches us that while it’s ok to plan for the future, in humility we must remember that the future is in God’s hands, not ours.
So… if God wills…
At my work we have a saying:
Fail to Plan
Plan to Fail
So in the spirit of that, I have made some plans for the new year. As I wrote yesterday in my reflection email, I am focused on spiritual goals. I think this is an aspect of our lives that all too often gets overlooked and just left to chance. That’s not the best way to pursue spiritual growth.
So looking forward at the year ahead, God willing I will:
- Read through the entire Bible this year. I plan to use the same One Year Bible that I closed out 2021 with and just flip over to the beginning and start over. Looking beyond 2022, I want to see that as a goal every year from here on out – but I’ll start with 2022!
- Focus on prayer. I had such a great experience last year reading The Kneeling Christian that I want to read at least one book on prayer per quarter. Right now on my kindle, I have Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference by Phillip Yancey. That’s the first one I want to read.
- This leads into daily devotional prayer. I’ve enjoyed it in 2021, and I want to continue it into 2022.
- I also want do do some Bible Studies. I’ve signed up to do an inductive study of the gospel of Mark at church. Beyond that I want to do Colossians, James, 1 John and 1 Peter as studies I can share with you (using the 6 Easy Steps method).
As an author, I want to:
- Write the next book in the Understanding the Bible series: 50 Stories Every Christian Should Know from the Old Testament
- Create an online course for How To Study the Bible (using the 6 Easy Steps method) – which will also require converting the Titus study to an online version.
- Take the studies from each of those 4 biblical authors and produce email and online studies.
I hope these might get you a little excited!
No plan ever happens exactly how we envision. So I know that I’ll have to adapt and adjust (more evidence that I don’t have control of the future).
But having a plan is better than having no plan. And I’m excited to see how it works out. I think it’s a God-honoring plan, and I’m hopeful that He will bless it.
Have you thought about your plans for 2022? You don’t have to do a lot. Just planning to do 1 thing could be a great plan for you.
If you had to pick, what would that one thing be?
It would be awesome if you replied to this email and shared that one thing with me.
Not only would it encourage me, but it would make that plan a little more real for you. I won’t bother you about it.
Take a moment to think about it. But don’t let the opportunity pass you by.
2022 is God’s year. He’s in control. Let’s make the most of it!
Happy New Year!
Dennis
Write a strong CTA here
