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What if 2021 is worse in events than 2020 has been?

What if this is the worst year of your life? What if the complaining and venting over what we haven’t been allowed to do, or what we wish we could’ve done, or what our plans had been are laughed at as a moment of “hold my drink” is on the way?

What if 2021 is like “Slam” by Onyx screaming at us, “Bu-bu-bu-but wait it gets worse!”

What if? What if? What if? Aren’t you tired of “what ifs?”

As a parent, when my kids constantly whined or complained they learned quickly that it would take longer for things to get back to normal, or for them to have their way or wish.

What if God used 2020 to grab your attention and we totally missed this? What if God had heard you say you wished you had more time with family, you wished you had a break, you wished you could find time to read your Bible more, you wish you could just sit in your car and sing and relax instead of feeling rushed all the time…and all we did was complain about being given exactly what we thought we wanted.

What if?

In Luke 14, Jesus tells a parable of the guests at a celebration where everyone was striving to grab a seat of honor. They had in their mind they wanted to be up close and personal. They made their plans and were so excited. Jesus begins in this parable by telling in verses 8 through 11, “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

What if? What if 2020 was a time of humbling because we have gotten too busy, too hectic, too needy, too big for our britches? What if 2020 was actually exactly what we needed and we’ve been so busy complaining that we totally missed God’s voice. As the new year approaches, let’s anticipate it being the best year yet, but prepared for the “what ifs” as we await God’s return.

 

Rev. J. Cameron Bailey is pastor of Kenbridge Christian Church. He can be reached at jamescameronbailey@gmail.com.