Photo: Unsplash – Glen Carrie

This is something I wrote and shared in January 2022 (slightly adapted), but which continues to be relevant this New Year (and perhaps every New Year):

Dear friends, co-labourers and fellow followers of Jesus

I’ve been considering my life and ministry at the start of this new year, and have found it helpful to be reminded of a few things. I share them in hope that one or two others might also find them helpful, as ministry- and life-weariness endures.

Be encouraged.

Remember that you are God’s deeply loved child, fully known, fully loved, fully accepted – forever. Not because of your performance or achievement, but because of Christ’s performance and achievement.

Remember that God has a task (in the broadest possible sense of the word) for your life that only you can and will complete. He has a race for you to run. It may not be the task or race you expected or wished for. You may not even know what it is until you meet him face to face and he explains it. But God has assigned it to you in his wisdom, love and goodness. And you can be confident that you will complete that task, because God is sovereign and will ensure it is completed. We have the privilege of being instruments in his hands and co-workers with him as he works out his glorious purposes through us. 

For this reason (as well as many others), there is no point in comparing yourself with others. We do it so easily don’t we – but it is never of any value. Each of our Father’s children has their own race to run, their own task to complete. You are not called to run someone else’s race, or complete their task. You are called to complete the task God has assigned to you – and to you alone – as best you can.

You are already a success, and cannot be any more of a success, because you are in Christ and he is already completely successful. Or, to put it another way, the Father is pleased with the Son, and therefore with us who are ‘in him.’ Therefore you don’t need to prove yourself to anyone – including yourself. And our good and loving God will receive glory through his work in and through you, which will resound in a million praises throughout eternity.

Because as we know it’s not ultimately about us, it’s about Christ and our ever-increasing joy and delight in him. 

So be encouraged. A very happy New Year to you.