Starting fresh: New Year Resolutions

With the negativity 2020 brought, many people anticipate the coming year, 2021 with high hopes, at least, a breath of fresh air from sad news. However, there is no guarantee that December 31 automatically stops everything sad from happening.

Regardless of the uncertainty of 2021 with the way 2020 turned out after high expectations, there are still reasons to stay hopeful for the coming year. We lost a lot of lives and loved ones in 2020, but if you can read this, it means you're alive. A pretty big reason to stay hopeful.

Let's start with Perspective

“I'm glad I lost! It gave me an open mind to new perspectives, to God's perspective, and that's my biggest blessing!” ~Muna

It's easy to think that all the bad things that happened were from the devil, I mean, how could God watch people suffer and not try to change it? But have we stopped to think for a moment about the season we're in? It's a new decade, and for some of us, especially teenagers and young adults, it's the decade of our lives. By the end of the decade, many of us will be married, have kids, bagged our degree and so much more. Before any victory comes a battle, so what if 2020 was the battle we were supposed to face before we get all of that victory and big moments? If you're reading this, you're a survivor, a big winner. You just gotta see things the way God sees them, so you don't give the devil credit for the things God worked out for us.

What's the Position of your Heart?

Will you enter 2021 still sulking over how bad 2020 went for you? Will you still sit blame and point fingers at everything that didn't work out the way you did or at everyone who disappointed you this year? Or are you going to get your heart ready for the things God will work out through you and for you in 2021? It's easier to point fingers at everything and everyone else than to look into the mirror and talk to the person we see there. I'm not asking you to forget everything negative that has happened. I'm asking you to surrender all your emotions to God. Talk to Him about how you feel concerning everything and ask Him to work on your heart to be ready for Him. Don't put a full-stop where God put a comma. Remember, your pain doesn't release you of your responsibility. God still wants to use you. But He can't use you if you're still sitting in bitterness because you're going to end up pouring it all out on His people, and that will be toxic of you.

Make a decision

“Dear God, 2021 may still not turn out the way I expected, but I trust You.”

It could still be difficult to trust God for 2021 when 2020 sucked. But then, you cannot see the future, only He can. He knows the end from the beginning, so be rest assured that He's working things out for your good and make a decision to trust Him regardless of the so many unanswered questions you have.

Get Inspired

It's okay if you lost motivation to do the things you wanted to do this year. But change your perspective to God's, see things the way He sees them and get inspired to keep pushing. God's won the battle for you. Now, you're on the other side, the victory side, it's easier to stay positive about the outcomes of events. So pick yourself up, dust your ass and get moving!