2021: The Year of Great Expectations

You don't need me to tell you how bad 2020 has been. From Covid-19, to being at home for 9 months, to missing friends, to social injustice, to an unprecedented election, to losing loved ones, to Christmas day bombings, to natural disasters, to life plans getting put on hold, 2020 has depleted many of us.

As did many of you, I had high hopes for 2020. This was going to be my year. When I turned 23 in January, I said this year was going to be, "No insecurities, no doubt, no depression. Year 23 is all God." Well I've had a lot of insecurities, a lot of doubts, and a whole lot of depression, but I've still had a lot of God.

With the way this year has turned out, it seemed easy and safe to lower my expectations for 2021. I didn't want to be disappointed if things don't return to "normal" as I thought they would. Last year, I got my hopes up and the year was not at all what I expected.

But then I remembered a Scripture I read a few days ago that has really stuck with me. In Matthew 9:29, Jesus opens the eyes of two blind men. From the Passion Translation, it reads, "Then Jesus put His hands over their eyes and said, 'You will have what your faith expects.'" Whoa.

Are you expecting anything for 2021? Because I certainly wasn't. And not having any expectations was going to set me up for another miserable year.

I'm not saying we should just get out hopes up for 2021 just because of the Covid-19 vaccines, or in blind optimism, or because it's merely a new calendar year, or because we believe things will go back to "normal." What happens if things don't go back to normal this year or even next? 

I'm not getting my hopes up because I'm naïve and think my life will go back to the way it was come January 1, 2021. I'm getting my hopes up because the Bible says I'll have what my faith expects. I'm not anticipating things to go back to the way they used to be; they probably won't. But I am expecting God to show Himself strong like He always does. I am expecting Him to keep my mind covered when I want to sink into a depression. I am expecting Him to make rivers in the desert and ways where there wasn't a way. I am expecting that He help me grow out of the same old issues and into the image of Christ. I am expecting that He provide rest for my weary soul. And I am expecting 2021 to be better than 2020 because I serve the God of a turnaround.

I'm choosing to put my hope and expectations in God. I'll admit, recently I had been putting my faith in a vaccine, in people, and in different situations. But now, and in 2021, I'm putting my hope solely in God. Those who hope in the Lord shall never be put to shame (Psalm 25:3). 

Vaccines may fail me, people may disappoint me, and situations might frustrate me. But God is the unchanging rock that I can depend on. What are you expecting for 2021? Is it rooted in God, or is it hope in a man-made circumstance? "You will have what your faith expects." Though many things seem to be out of control, I've got some crazy expectations for 2021, and I'm trusting God to deliver. I'm choosing to make 2021 the year of great expectations.

Comments

  1. DiwakarDecember 31, 2020 at 10:59 AM

    Hello Faith Russell. I am a Pastor from Mumbai India. I am glad to stop by your profile on the bogger ad the blog post. I am also blessed and feel privileged and honoured to get connceted with you as well as know you as a Christian. I enjoyed your post blog on "2021 A Year of Great expectation. It give great hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. Very encouraging, strengthening and enriching. I love getting connected with the people of God around the globe to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I have been in the Pastoral ministry for last 41yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhreted. We also encourage young and the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have you come to Mumbai to work with us during your vacation time, I am very sure you will have a life changing experience. Looking forward to hear from you very soon, God's richest blessings on you your family and friends also wishing you and your family a blesed Christmas season and a very bright and a Christ centered year 2021. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Whose Opinion Matters?

Recently, I had the chance to go to a concert for a very well-known rap artist. During the breaks between songs he took the time to continuously brag about himself: how he’s traveled all around the world, has his own private plane, several number one albums, lots of beautiful women, etc. While everyone was shouting his name and the girls in front of me were falling out as he jokingly extended an invitation for a few ladies to ride back with him in his plane, the Scripture Matthew 6:2 popped into my head: “I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.” As I looked around at the roaring crowd, it suddenly became clear that this would all pass away — the celebrities, the fame, and the money would come to an end. When I got home that night I read the rest of Matthew 6, and in verse 19 Jesus tells us to “store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” I started thinking about treasures and how
Read more

The Sin of Ingratitude

A lot of people look at my life from the outside and say that I’m doing well. I’m working full time in my field straight out of college, I’m also a dance teacher, I do some freelance editing, and I still train and take dance classes on a regular basis. That right there is a lot to be thankful for. So why has this past year been the hardest of my life? Before I graduated, I had a vision of what my life would look like post-graduation. I would have moved as far away from the south as possible, been living on my own, dancing in a company, teaching dance, making new friends, living my best life, etc. I didn’t know that a year later I would be living with my parents back in Nashville and working a full-time office job. My senior year and the summer afterwards were filled with many unfruitful auditions which resulted in a lot of rejection. When I came back home to Nashville, I decided to take an unpaid position with a small local dance company. I’ll just say that the starving artis
Read more