New Year Resolution
𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙 ℝ𝔼𝕊𝕆𝕃𝕌𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ
No doubt there will be many posts today expressing good riddance to 2020. Truly, it’s been an ugly year.
However, it’s very possible in 2021 we will look back at 2020 as "𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔." Why? Because of the continual inordinate fear in this world, cruelty, political power grabs, spitball science, medical profiteering, media manipulation and scare tactics, shaming and neurosis. I do hope I’m wrong, but I am dubious.
Speaking with a friend of mine in Delhi yesterday he said there are two types of people he interacts with, the “𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀,” and the “𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀” as it relates to the CV. That pretty well sums it up for people I know as well. (The over cautious are the guys I saw in the Paris airport in September. I’m pretty sure that some people I know here in the states would do the same if the CDC told them such outfits would “slow the spread” of the virus.) There may be some people who are callous, but I really haven’t met anyone like that. Being skeptical doesn’t make one hard-hearted, just one who is leery of drinking the socially accepted and humanistic Kool-Aid.
My resolution for 2021 is Psalms 90:12, putting into the personal pronoun “(𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅) 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒐𝒎.” Meaning…we need God to reveal to us the brevity of life. That revelation will help us grow wise, and 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬.
I am assuming people know that everyone is going to die. And, since God is sovereign, each one of us will not die one second before His appointed time for us, nor the people we come in contact with. 𝑾𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓. 𝑳𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝑯𝒊𝒎. If I catch the CV and die, I’m quite certain the Lord is not going to be surprised and say to me, “Gee, Richard, I didn’t expect to see you so soon! Did you not wear a mask?”
The overly cautious might tell this story differently. “Richard, I expected to see you here because you didn’t social distance yourself.” No matter how you envision the story, it doesn’t negate God’s sovereignty. 𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀.
Being cautious, but not overly cautious, does not suggest foolishness, reckless behavior or tempting fate, whatever that is (only fatalists believe in fate). I don’t walk down the middle of a road expecting God to protect me from getting hit by a car. Wisdom dictates a balanced approach to life, knowing that there are some things I can control but a whole lot more in life I cannot control.
And how does one get such wisdom to live? Solomon says, “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙊𝙍𝘿 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙙𝙤𝙢. 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙮 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙙𝙜𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩” (Proverbs 9:10).
I think I understand that. That I am not to fear COVID nor the uncertainties of life, but to fear, respect, be in awe, in submission to the One who created me.
As I write this, another passage of Scripture comes to mind, again, written by Solomon, the wisest man in the world who said, “𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘄, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗽” (Ecclesiastes 4:11). 2021 will have a lot of head-winds and no doubt there will be days of dark clouds. If I live my life in the fear of the “𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗳’𝘀,” I will never seize the opportunities God has for me, I will never reap the rewards of living life to the fullest in spite of the obstacles.
My prayer for this new year is that people may know the true and living, all good, all power God. By knowing Him they will have wisdom, which will give them peace, and enjoy life for the days ahead.
𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗬 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥!
