With the cancellation of our normal events and activities during the Covid-19 pandemic, it can be hard to figure out what to do with all of our time.

Vision is a word that has been difficult for me to define and honestly a word that I would say should not be used to describe my life. However, as I approach the end of my 4th year of working in full-time college ministry, a vision from the Lord is the only thing that keeps me going. God has given me, and continues to refine, a picture of how he wants me to use my time and gifts to partner with him in seeing his kingdom come on earth.

In the beginning, God’s creation of man and woman in His likeness was very good. They were flourishing! After they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sin entered the world and everything changed. God sent his Son to earth in the form of human flesh to live the life Adam failed to live and pay the price for all sin — past, present, and future. God allowed sinners to be reconciled to Himself and sent His Spirit to dwell inside believers. In the new heavens and the new earth, God will once again walk with man in the full expression of His glory. We will be perfectly, holistically healthy beings as the new heavens and the new earth will be even better than Eden. This reality will last forever.

There is benefit in releasing control, and the Lord has been gracious to me in my need for control. He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. By His grace He gives us gospel power to repent and tools to persevere

“New year, new me.” As we ring in the 2020 year, this phrase yet again floods our news feeds. We cling to this phrase in hopes that something will change within us this year. We hope that circumstances around us will change. That this will be “the year.” The year that our dreams come true. The year that we finally shed the pounds. The year that we magically begin to own some sort of new self-confidence… This begs the question: why do we continue to place our hope in something as temporary as a new year?

Sometimes, I wish it weren’t so.  I wish I was perfect, never having any faults.  Right now, at this very moment I can name a myriad of areas in my life where I have fallen short.  Areas I wish I were different in, better at or more knowledgeable about.  And sadly one of the areas I continually fall short is keeping the main thing the main thing.  Even as a full time college minister the main thing, Christ and the cross, does not stay central in my heart and life.

Self-control, why do we struggle here so much? Why is it so hard to say no to our flesh and passions? This is without a doubt something that every one of us struggles with on some level. Whether it is overeating, lack of exercise, over spending, lust, attention, running, body image, or any other craving, we all have something that we run towards to find satisfaction outside of God.

All too often, we don’t want to read God’s word because we read it as a to do list. We are quick to find the imperative without the indicative of God’s word. In Psalm 19:7 David cries out that the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving to the soul. Later in verse 10 he goes on to say that the word is to be more desired than gold and sweeter than honey. God’s word revives us! It is a delight to dig deeply and drink the rich, bountiful cup of God’s word! 

Consider the times when you have felt absolutely beaten up by sin that had won in your life again. Remember when all of your disciples refused to answer or show up to anything because they were just “too busy.” Think of the times when you have felt rejected, alone, dismayed, discouraged, or demoralized. These are exactly the times when Satan lies to us and tells us that these “failures” determine who we are.