Are You Ready for the Trip into a New Year?

One of our daughters and her husband planned a surprise vacation for their family after Christmas. Their kids knew there was a trip coming, but didn’t know where they were going or exactly when. So on Christmas morning they unwrapped various clues until the details of their adventure was revealed, including the fact that they were leaving the next day.

We face a similar situation as we head into a new year. We know that we have a journey ahead of us. However, we don’t know where all it might take us. We may have some hopes and plans for the next twelve months, but if the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that our intended activities can be drastically disrupted by events taking place in the world around us. So although we know we have a trip to take in 2022, there’s much uncertainty about the details of what’s coming. So how do we get ready for such an unpredictable journey?

First of all, we should make sure we’ve packed our bags with the main items we’ll need no matter where that journey takes us. While there are many important items we could mention, I’ll narrow it down to the basic trio Paul emphasized to the church at Corinth. “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (I Corinthians 13:13). Wherever this year takes us, we’ll need to be grounded in faith. Our circumstances will require that we maintain a steadfast trust in the Lord. We will need to have faith that He is still in control and that He is the good God who loves us. A faith that stands firm in the face of an unbelieving world and fear-provoking circumstances will help keep our heads above water no matter what rivers we may be called upon to cross.

We also need to pack plenty of hope – not the wishful, uncertain hope we might have in people or in some concept of fate. We need to have hope in a faithful God. We will undoubtedly face temptations along the way this year to give in to despair. At those times, it will be important to remind ourselves of the sure hope we have in the fulfillment of God’s promises both in this life and in the life to come.

We will also need to be filled with plenty of love. Let’s not give in to the culture of hate and anger that is so prevalent today. That doesn’t mean we pursue the kind of love much of our society advocates, one that compromises truth and excuses wrongdoing. We need God’s kind of love that is both holy and forgiving. Pray that whatever you do this year will be done with a spirit of Christlike love.

In addition to those qualities, we’ll need a guide or map for this trip in 2022. We may not know exactly where we’re going, but all along the way we’ll need God’s Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to show us the next step to take and which roads to avoid.

Probably the most essential aspect of this trip into the new year is to make sure we’ve got the right traveling companion. No matter what 2022 holds in store for us, we can face it if we know the Lord is right there with us as we make the journey. We need to make sure we’re in a right relationship with the One who promises to go with us over the majestic mountains and through the dark valleys. As one old song suggests, “If Jesus goes with me, I’ll go anywhere.” So go with Jesus in 2022, and you’ll be ready for whatever comes your way.