Welcome to 2022
Children scream in delight and wonder as fireworks whistle through the air, throwing shards of brilliant lights into the night sky. The deafening sounds ripping through the harmattan wind compete for attention with the joyous sounds of "Happy New Year" as church members, neighbours, and families celebrate at the stroke of 12 midnight.
Welcome to 2022!
I spent so much time wondering how I would open this post and if the intended content would change. Well, it has already started changing. Let’s see how it goes.
A Westlife song popped in my head during a prayer watch on the morning of December 31, 2021. Yes. During prayers. Imagine that! The person leading was talking about guarding your secret place with the Lord in 2022 and I burst into laughter as I started singing a song I hadn’t remembered in years.
Oh, we got a little world of our own
I'll tell you things that no one else knows
I let you in where no one else goes
What am I doing without you?
Not exactly the spiritual song, I know. But these few lines give a picture of what I have found with the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. I can’t imagine life without God. It’s just not possible knowing that He is life.
As we go into 2022, it is time to go deeper and let Him pour out of every area of our lives. My mind has been contemplating a number of things for the year and I’ve managed to jot some things down. Although quite simple, most are still quite jumbled up for me to share. I’ll stick to what I consider the most important items.
The One thing
Jesus is all that matters. Everything else that matters, matters because of Him.
Our programs and structures are going to be pivotal this year. But we must never forget that it is in Him that we live, move, and have our being. He is life.
We have to consciously make studying the Word, praying, and sharing the gospel the focus of our lives. This is the time to make Him our diet.
There will be distractions and things that look good to do. The only way we can stay on track is to keep our heart on Him.
My practical advice would be to be in a church or community of people who are Bible centred and actually study the word. There are also many resources online that you will find helpful. I always recommend the Bible Project and Tim Mackie when it comes to studying the word.
As the excitement of the New Year gets many people to start the Bible in a Year on YouVersion, I am praying that you will receive the grace to stay the course and fall in love with the word. I pray that your daily desire and lifestyle will be to abide in Christ.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. John 15:4
Only by abiding in Christ can you be effective in a world that continues to desire darkness.
Be Unbendable
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. - John 1:5
I often wonder about being a sheep in the midst of wolves. Reading about Jesus eating and drinking with the Pharisees gives me some insight into how this works. Jesus knew His identity and simply lived in complete submission to the Father and by the power of the Holy Spirit. There was a synergy between them, unfeigned and pure love. This love, this light always confounds the darkness. As we go into the world, into our spheres of influence and into the places that are in the clutches of the enemy, we must keep this in mind. Only through our connection with God can the darkness be defeated. He is the only light that is pure and true.
This reminds me of the last fight scene in Avatar - The Last Airbender. It was between Avatar Aang and Firelord Ozai. Aang makes a decision to leave the villain alive as he believed in the sanctity of life. Yet, he needed to rid the world of the evil of Firelord Ozai. Then, he remembered the wise words a spirit being had seeded inside his heart. You can watch the battle on YouTube.
“To bend another’s energy, your own spirit must be unbendable. Or you will be corrupted and destroyed”.
We cannot stay on the fence or look for shortcuts in our communion with God. We have to be all in, knit into God or get eaten up by the wolves.
Evangelism
As much as this word scares or turns people off, it remains the heart of who we are as believers. Do you believe in Jesus and the things He said? Then, our heart’s desire must be to bring freedom to those in the dark and reconcile them to the Father.
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20
Make this a year where you are conscious of your role as a reconciler. God wants His lost children to come home. You have been found and restored, and in turn, God wants to partner with you to find and restore others.
Fathers and Mothers; Sons and Daughters
I believe that the place of spiritual fathers and mothers will be very important as we go through the year. God is raising many as fathers and mothers who will make a home for lost sons and daughters. More than providing warmth, resources, or instructions, you will call people by the name God calls them. You will see the potential in people who see nothing in themselves. You will not wait until someone looks believable before you stake your lot for them.
For Sons and Daughters, this is a year of submission. Prayerfully ask God to lead you to a father and/or mother that you can submit to. You’ll need it.
Communities of believers will flourish because of these relationships that are grounded in love and build accountability to the greatness that God has deposited in everyone.
Leadership like David's
I have loved David for a long time. In 2020, God took me back to studying about him again. This continued to unfold through 2021. One thing that kept standing out for me was his leadership journey.
Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men. 1 Samuel 22:2
David led these men of no repute until they became loyal and powerful men of valour. And he remained their leader. His leadership wasn't restricted to those who looked like soldiers or not. They did not have to look believable for him to believe in them. They changed. He matured.
Are you afraid that those God has placed around you seem like they have no idea what they are doing? Or are you consciously looking out for those who know what they are doing to become your followers?
I believe that God has released a special grace for men and women to lead those who have hitherto been averse to leadership and accountability. It takes a lot of patience, kindness, and firmness. But most importantly, like David, the first ingredient is a heart submitted to God and to seeing Him glorified in the life of those you lead.
I felt like sharing the playlist of songs I listened to while piecing this article together
Only Jesus - Casting Crowns - Only Jesus (Official Music Video)
One thing - One Thing Lyric Video - Hillsong Worship
Graves into Gardens - Graves Into Gardens ft. Brandon Lake | Live | Elevation Worship
Just like heaven - Just Like Heaven - Brandon Lake | House Of Miracles [Official Music Video]
Gratitude - Gratitude - Brandon Lake | House of Miracles (Live)
I just need U - TobyMac - I just need U.
Speak life - TobyMac - Speak Life
Feel it - TobyMac - Feel It ft. Mr. TalkBox
Dream for you - Casting Crowns - Dream for You (Official Lyric Video)
Be my escape - Relient K | Be My Escape (Official Audio Stream)
Who I am hates who I’ve been - Relient K | Who I Am Hates Who I've Been (Official Audio Stream)
Drops in the Ocean - Hawk Nelson - Drops In the Ocean (Lyric Video)
Diamonds - Hawk Nelson - Diamonds (Official Lyric Video)
I wish you a truly fantastic 2022 ahead!
May you walk daily with God. Amen.
Love and love,
OTDamilola
For Kind and Kingdom