I recently searched for funny 2020 T-shirts online.
One shirt said - "2020. One star. Very bad. Would not recommend." Another shirt said - "Maybe the phrase Hindsight is 2020 was a warning from the future." Yet another shirt had a Back to the Future movie theme and said - "Marty, whatever happens, don't ever go to 2020." My favorite shirt said - "I survived the great toilet paper shortage of 2020."
The sentiment of those shirts and many people I know communicates a desire for this year to end as fast as possible. When I dig a little deeper into that sentiment, I find a belief that this year was mostly a waste, without a whole lot of God's work in it.
But, before a new year begins, we have an opportunity to look back in 2020 for lessons about God and ourselves that we will need as we step forward. It takes room to reflect on past experiences. That room has to be created in our hearts and minds before it can be created in our schedule.
Reflecting on the following three truths can begin creating that room in our hearts and minds.
1. Our perception doesn't limit God's ability to work.
In Genesis 28, Jacob has a dream where he unexpectedly encounters the presence of God. "Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn't even aware of it!'" I wonder if many of us will awake one day and recognize what's hard to perceive today.
While many of us don't perceive an abundant work by God in this year, God doesn't submit to us. As Grant Patrick wrote, "God's ability to work doesn't hinge on my perception that he's working." If God's ability depended on our perception, how small would God's power be!
2. God is powerfully at work, even in our suffering.
Too many of us view suffering as the place where God works least. Yet, Scripture offers a very different view. In Genesis 50, Joseph consoled his brothers who are worried about their terrible treatment of him and the suffering he endured. He replied, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”
In Philippians 1, the Apostle Paul encouraged those who are worried about his suffering in prison. "And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God's message without fear."
Skye Jethani was correct when he wrote, "Throughout the Bible, we see that suffering is a feature, not a bug, in the believer's life."
3. God's love is beyond our comprehension.
It's hard to feel God's love when we've felt so much pain, loss, and isolation in a year like this. But whether we feel it or not, we are loved by God with a love beyond comprehension. The Apostle Paul spoke of this love in Ephesians 3. "And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully."
It's too great to understand fully, but yes even in a time like this, we are loved beyond comprehension.
Making Room To Reflect
If we don't look back and celebrate what God did in the past, we'll be tempted to take credit for God's movement in the future. There are a lot of things I don't want in life, but one of the biggest ones is stealing God's glory. When we reflect on the past, we see opportunities to praise and glorify God that we would have missed otherwise.
I've included several steps and prompts to create your own reflection, as one year ends and the next begins.
Steps To Make Room
- Set aside 30-45 minutes when you can focus without interruption.
- Solicit the help of a family member or friend to help care for those who depend on you.
- Turn off and put away digital devices.
- Bring a piece of paper or a journal. Write the reflection questions found below on a separate piece of paper and bring that as well.
- Invite the Holy Spirit to direct your reflection and align your perception with His.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your understanding." - Proverbs 3:5
Prompts To Guide Your Reflection
- What did you learn about God this year that didn't know or had forgotten?
- What did you learn about yourself this year that you didn't know or had forgotten?
- How was God at work, in both your joy and suffering?
- What are you praying for in the new year?
- How would your life and the lives of those around you be different if God answered those prayers by this time next year?
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer who believes he has the best last name ever. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani and they are the parents of three "little savages." He is the creator of the Free to Forgive course and you can read more of his writing at scottsavagelive.com
