2020. I need to circle back to this topic again. So many
people are still reflecting on 2020 and resolving about 2021. I, for one, am
about done looking backward. I have told you that 2020 has been one of the
best years of my life. 2021 is going to be even better. If it is not going to
be one of the best years of your life, friend, you’re doing it wrong. Could it
be that you have been living UNDER the circumstances? Could it be that your
perspective is that life brings problems? How about you join me in not living
UNDER the circumstance but OVER or ABOVE the circumstances in 2021. How about
you join me in the perspective that I do not have problems, I have
opportunities. I used to think that was silly. If someone would say that to me,
and they have, in my mind I would think “they have never walked in my shoes.”
But you know what, I now realize they had better sandals to walk in, and they
were walking on solid ground.
Music speaks. Not every Christian song is full of scripture,
but well-written songs of any genre are full of truth. “I am chosen, not
forsaken. I am who You say I am. You are for me, not against me. I am who You
say I am. (Who You Say I Am)” This is truth. Believing this truth will take you
ABOVE the circumstance. This truth will help you see opportunities and will
help make this year great.
I have recently been on a “western” kick. I have been watching
some old and lots of newer westerns. I really enjoyed the series with Pierce
Brosnan called “The Son.”. I watched “True Grit” from 2010. It is a remake of a
John Wayne classic, which I don’t remember seeing. Maybe that’s why I really
liked this one. Maybe it’s just good. “Back to the Future Part III” is on a Top
25 list and I watched it. Silly and fun.
The modern western I have enjoyed the most is the Netflix
series “Longmire.” The series is based on the “Longmire Mystery” series by New
York Times Bestselling Author Craig Johnson. The setting is a fictional town in
a fictional county in Wyoming. It is loosely based on the northern Wyoming town
of Buffalo. Johnson resides just outside of Buffalo. The series is actually
filmed in New Mexico. In its 6 seasons, Longmire provides great entertainment
as well as prompts thoughts regarding lots of moral
issues. Now I am reading
the novels. After reading the first one, I am half-way into the second and
enjoying them as much as the TV series. In an email exchange I recently had
with the author, he informed me that he doesn’t feel that allowing his personal
beliefs to crowd into this platform is fair to the readers. He would rather let
the character’s actions “speak louder than any words.”
That leads me to ask myself “do my actions speak louder than
any words?” Do my actions exhibit the belief that I am above my circumstance
because I submit my life and my will over to the care of God? Do my actions
convey to others the perspective that what some see as problems I choose to see
as opportunities? If my actions do portray such personal beliefs, then, like
Walt Longmire, I should even be able to poke fun at circumstances and problems.
As Craig Johnson said to me “If God didn’t have a sense of humor, he certainly
wouldn’t have created us…”
“You split the sea so I could walk right through it. My
fears were drowned in perfect love…I am a child of God! (No Longer Slaves)”
Every obstacle, every problem, every turbulent sea before you is an opportunity
for God to show up. The sea that was supposed to be a problem becomes God’s
perfect love drowning your fears and floating you above the circumstances. When
you can see that for yourself, it’s a great day. Put together a string of great
days and it becomes a great year.
If you’re reading this and it is resonating with you, you
are on your way to a great 2021. I challenge you to take this perspective with
you today. When you wake up tomorrow, have this perspective. I know you can do
that tomorrow. Don’t worry about next week or next month. Just tomorrow. If you
need help with this perspective, email me, text me, call me.
Thanks for reading,
Who
You Say I Am – Hillsong Worship
No
Longer Slaves – Jonathan David and Melissa Helser
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