On the desktop of my computer, I have a picture taken from the deck of a sailboat in a stormy sea. On the picture is the quote:
We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will someday rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.
I suspect that will continue to be true in this coming year. For nearly everyone on the planet, 2020 and 2021 were years with "high winds", and there is little reason to suspect that that will change in 2022.
High Winds in 2022
The high winds that we will be facing in 2022 include:
- The Pandemic, and all its related complications, including the push for mandatory masks and vaccinations.
- The Pollution of our educational system: including teaching Critical Race Theory as fact, Marxism as desirable and transgenderism as normal.
- Politics: including aggressive anti-Christian actions and values, championed from the White House to the halls of congress to the deep state.
- Persecution: the suppression of Christians, Churches, and biblical truth wherever public opinion permits.
Sailing in High Winds
Sailing in high winds in 2022 will involve five responsibilities/opportunities.
- Praying
At the top of the list of
sailing in high winds is prayer. We are in a spiritual battle in which the forces of Satan are pitted against the forces of God, in which the forces of evil are assaulting the forces of righteousness. Scripture makes it clear that spiritual warfare must be won with spiritual weapons. This is ultimately God’s battle, and can only be won by God Himself.
His work is done,
“’not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
- Working
Counterbalancing Zechariah 4:6 is Proverbs 21:31, which says
“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory belongs to the Lord.”
This passage reinforces the fact that it is the Lord who brings the victory, but counterbalances that fact with the reality that we are responsible to
“prepare the horse for the day of battle.”
God gives us the dignity of causality by leading us to work for causes in which he will eventually give the victory.
What do we do? Whatever the Lord leads us to do. It might involve seemingly spiritual activities such as Bible teaching, discipling, counseling, etc. Or it might involve seemingly secular activities such as voting, serving on a school board or a voting precinct. Or a combination of "spiritual" and "secular" activities. When we are doing God’s work, following his leading, there is no real distinction between spiritual and secular. It is all God’s work which He will use to win the battle.
- Sharing
In times of darkness, people look for light. In times of confusion, people look for truth. In times of discouragement, people look for hope.
Christians have light, we have truth, we have hope. We must share it all! We must share the gospel, so that people can walk in light. We must share the Scriptures, so that people can understand how to live. We must share hope so that people can carry on and not give up.
This is not a time to shrink, or weaken, or quit. This is a time to meet the challenge before us in the leading and power of God. Scripture says "
Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might" (Ephesians 6:10).
- Growing
This is a time to grow. James 1:2 – 4 says,
“Consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Hard times are opportunities for guiding and accelerating spiritual growth.
In
last year’s New Year’s blog, we looked at
Five Truths for a Better New Year, which gave us five ways to grow in our faith during hard times:
- Remind yourself of God’s love. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1)
- Give up on this world and live for the next. “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth" (Colossians 3:2).
- Be willing for trials to last as long as God chooses. “If when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
- Focus on the benefits of trials:
- Greater spiritual transformation (James 1:2 – 4)
- Greater ministry impact (2 Corinthians 1:3 – 4)
- Greater eternal reward (Romans 8:18)
- Deeper relationship with God (Philippians 3:10)
- Greater affirmation from God (Matthew 25:21)
- Focus on pleasing God. In Matthew 25, the master said to the slave after a good job, “well done.” The last thing I do to prepare myself for hard times is to imagine, when I see Him in heaven, the Lord saying, “Well done.” In fact, I imagine His saying it to me now.
- Trusting
Finally, we trust. We trust in God, we trust in His Word, we trust in His power, we trust in His will.
Proverbs 3:5 – 6 says, “
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.”
If we trust God, we obey Him. If we do not obey him, it is because we do not trust Him. Trust, or faith, is the thing.
Conclusion
Christians do not need to live in fear. We do not have to know everything, we do not have to be able to do everything, we do not have to control everything. We just have to walk closely with One who does.
If we keep our eyes on the One who is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and loving – who promises sufficient grace for the moment and that in the end all will be well, if we are faithful to prepare the horse for the day of battle but trust Him to win the victory, we can sail in high winds in the upcoming New Year of 2022.
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