Finding Hope For The New Year

Jordan January 30, 2024 no Comments

If you’re like me, you’re trying to find hope for the new year. I know the new year has started, but already everyone is predicting a gloom and doom year and let’s be honest, the writing is on the wall. Despite all this though, we can still find hope for the new year. Actually, finding hope for the new year should be our number 1 goal. There is enough bad in the world, we need hope and joy to help us focus on God and spread much needed hope to others. But how do we find hope for the new year?

Hope For The New Year

Hoping that things get better seem futile. And I will say that us hoping everything will go back to the way they were before 2020 is a waste of time and energy. We shouldn’t hope for the past, but for the future. If we stay in the past, we can never go forward, and we set ourselves up for failure and disappointment. Rather, we should put our hope in things that matter. When we do that, only then can we find joy through the darkest of storms. But where do we put our hope?

How Do We Find Hope For The New Year?

There are a number of things we should be focusing on to keep our hope alive. And while it may seem like a wasteful exercise, it can make the difference between striving and moving forward, or giving up and being defeated.

1. God Gives Us Hope

First and foremost, God gives us hope. God is hope. Us trusting in Him for everything and trusting that He has plans to prosper us, and not harm us, and give us a future (Jeremiah 29:11). and provide for us should give us reassurance that everything will be okay. God wins in the end (Revelation). And while the world may feel dark, cold, and everything feels hard, having these reassurances (among many others) should give us hope that everything is going to be okay. Suffering on this world is temporary (2 Corinthians 4:17-18), though it doesn’t always feel that way.

And there are plenty of other verses that gives us hope:

2. Hope Requires Patience

A lot of us, when things are hard or we are suffering, want everything fixed right now. We don’t handle suffering very well, though we should considering longsuffering is critical in being a Christian. But learning patience and learning to wait for an answer and change takes patience. The world is broken and suffering will happen. But God can use that suffering to test us, grow us, and to help others. But we have to be patient through the hard things and keep hope until the end. We see this in:

3. Wisdom Helps Create Hope

Hope for the new year- book in a light and dark- homemaking for God — We can find wisdom in the Bible and through others.

The Holy Spirit gives up wisdom. And having wisdom can breed hope. However, sometimes we need wisdom of others to keep use focused through the storm. People all go through different storms and trials. And sometimes people’s experiences can help us. It’s easy to want to dismiss other people’s advice or experience, because everyone is different right? We know our situation better than anyone. But that isn’t always the case. When we are close to the situation, it may be hard to see the situation clearly. An outside perspective can be helpful. Plus, God often sends people in our lives for seasons when we need them most to help us grow.

4. Focus On The Spiritual Not The Physical

When we are going through hard times, it is so easy for us to take our eyes off of God. But that’s what the enemy wants. Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10, Luke 22:31, 1 Peter 5:8). And so he picks and picks and picks and eventually it feels like our world is falling apart. When this happens, instead of finding hope in the new year, we focus on things in the physical work. We focus on alcohol, video games, shopping, sex, drugs, etc. Whatever makes us feel good and distracts us becomes our sole focus instead of focusing on God (Romans 12:2).

5. Don’t Isolate Or Feel You Have To Do It Alone

Along with hard times can come with icky feelings that make us want to isolate and give up. But keeping our hope in God can prevent these. But God gives us resources and people in our lives that can help uplift us. Iron sharpens iron, right? (Proverbs 27:17) Surround yourself with people who will keep you focused on God, focused on the good things, and that give you a reason to keep going. Family and friends are (in many cases) these blessings. And though it may feel like our world is falling apart, often times we are still needed. Don’t give up. God has not left or forsaken you (Hebrews 13:5-6) and your family and friends still need you.

6. Stop Looking At The Bad Things

The world glorifies evil now. We see it everywhere in the news, online, in games, TV, everywhere. And it can make you feel helpless and scared and alone. But that’s what it is meant to do. People make money off of fear (like the news) and while it’s good to be informed, being over informed about every single bad thing is dangerous. It is demoralizing. So to find hope for the new year, turn off the news. Stop focusing on everything that is wrong and start focusing on God’s promises, on the blessings you have, and the good in your life.

Keeping Your Hope For The New Year

Hope for the new year- woman in orange praying in church pews- homemaking for God — We can keep that hope all throughout the year.

You will have days where you feel like all is right in the world. And you will have days where it feels like everything is crashing down around you. But it will be okay in the end. We all have trials and tribulations, loss, and pain. But this suffering grows us and it is temporary. But we need to try to keep our hope through it all. And to do that we must:

Pray
Read Your Bible
Worship/Praise
Focus On The Good

Hope Is Easier Said Than Done

I know this is all easier said than done. And many of you are probably tired of hearing all of this. You’ve probably heard it time after time. However, these are things I’ve learned over the years and still struggle with myself. I won’t lie, I have times where I get caught up in the bad and the world. But, God is who always brings me back and pulls me forward and my family always gives me the push I need from behind. With all the bad news and bad “predictions” everyone has for this year, hope is essential for getting through it all. God bless you all and I hope God fills you with hope and joy!

Homemaking For God