Some of us can get a bit cynical about the start of another new year. After all, what’s really going to be new about it? Why should I be more hopeful just because I’m flipping over another page of the calendar? Why should I bother making more resolutions that I won’t remember, let alone keep, come February?
In preparing for Sunday’s message, I was thinking about Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was likely just a teenager when she received the angelic news that she was going to be pregnant with the Messiah. You might think that should be a ticket to an easier life (being the Messiah’s mom should have plenty of perks, right?), but I don’t think it was.
Here’s my American Thanksgiving paraphrase: When you are enjoying all the good gifts God has blessed you with—a land with freedom you didn’t have to die for, infrastructure you didn’t build, inventions you didn’t design, and opportunities you didn’t create—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who has blessed you so richly.
I can’t help but think these are dangerous times for our mental health. What are some things we can do safely to counteract the unintended side effects of social distancing and coronavirus worries? How can we
Stephen Covey popularized the idea that the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. When we miss the point of life—when we neglect the main thing—we do so because other pursuits or priorities have clouded our perspective. We get distracted from the point of life because we prioritize money, or stuff, or comfort, or an early retirement or anything else above the main thing.