By many standards, 2015 was a difficult year for many people. The same could probably be said about most years when you think about it. But, our calendar gives us a wonderful gift every 365 days (or 366 days this year). It allows us to start fresh. It gives us an opportunity to catalog all the pain, bitterness, and failures of the past and gives you a brand new year to make the most of.

The question every year is–what will you make of the gift that is the new year? Will you really do anything different? Or will you make those resolutions and by the end of February be in the same rut you were in 2 months ago? You see, things tend to only change for you if you change how you do things. All of God’s promises are the same for us in 2016 as they were in 2015–but will we allow ourselves to be changed to claim them?

Well, I have set some goals for the year, but I really respond better to a word or phrase that can help guide my thinking when the difficult moments hit. I read an article that gave me that word for 2016!

John Stonestreet–President of the Colson Center–wrote last week on Breakpoint that our watchword in 2016 should be “Fear not“. He said that over 80 times in the Bible we are told to either “fear not” or “be not afraid”. I think that God knew that this would be something we would struggle with.

Fear–for me at least–is one of the things I pray daily for victory over. I have a natural tendency to think the worst about any situation. I battle fear everyday of my life. It is something I am aware of so when I read the Breakpoint commentary I was reminded that God really has us in the palm of His hand. There is nothing that will ever happen to me or my loved ones that is outside of the boundaries that He has set.

And yes–in this world there will be troubles, but as a Christian I know how the story ends! The story ends perfectly!

So, will you join me in making our motto for 2016, “Fear not!” The world will give you much to drag you down into a crippling fear but think of the witness for Christ we can have to the worried world when we can live our lives in such a manner as to know whose world this really is!

More to come…
Jeremy