Deep breath in, deep breath out. 2021 is almost here. 

There’s always something exciting and refreshing about a new year. But with the year we’ve had in 2020, we all long to start new. Since last spring, I’ve seen people joking online, “Can 2020 just be over now?” This strange year has seemed endlessly daunting. Just when we got comfortable with a new normal, some new problem arose. We’re all walking into 2021 desperate for good news.

HE’S BEEN FAITHFUL IN 2020, AND THAT WON’T CHANGE IN 2021

As much as we may hope that 2021 will change our lives through whatever resolutions we make, the hype tends to die down days or weeks later. Real life sets in. A new crisis arises. Goal progress slows down. We miss a day in our Bible reading plan. One day of an unopened Bible leads to two days, then three days, and without realizing it we’ve spent more time away from the Word than we did in the Word. It’s a cycle we all hate to repeat. But with the Holy Spirit’s help, I know we can defeat it.

The truth about the new year we must keep at the forefront of our minds as we set goals and resolutions is this: God hasn’t changed. Each year holds different challenges and struggles, loss and new life, lessons learned and wisdom understood. Life feels like a roller coaster sometimes, and other times a chugging train.

We are constantly changing, but God isn’t. He doesn’t need a “new normal.” God doesn’t shift when the world does. He doesn’t sleep when we lay our heads on our pillows. And he doesn’t change his mind or redefine precepts and truth founded at the beginning of time. In each new year, God stays the same, and that comfort keeps us moving forward as we keep inching toward the finish line with our eyes on Jesus.

CHANGING PLANS, UNCHANGING GOD

At the start of 2020, I had big plans for the year. But looking back, very few of my plans worked out. I know, not exactly the brightest perspective! Frustration set in many times this year. I believed if I could only get to the next season, then I would flourish.

Through it all, God was changing me. He was changing my heart, dreams, and goals. The Lord was deepening my understanding of him and broadening my love for his Word and ways. Every twist and turn served a purpose. Looking back, I can see that though my plans changed, he was unchanging. That’s the hope I’ll cling to this year as well.

You’re probably seeing the message of “new year, new you” everywhere. You might be wondering if 2021 will actually bring the newness you long for. I encourage you to swap that message for “new year, same God.” The more we lean into him and cling to his Word, the more we will be transformed into his image. We are ever-changing; he is unchanging. This truth grounds us, propels us forward, and roots us in every season.

New year, same God, ever-changing you. Let this year be about him, friends, as your faithful God molds you in the palms of his hands and carries you through whatever lies ahead.

STARTING 2021 WITH SURRENDER,

GRETCHEN