Each New Year many people in America make a vow to somehow be better the following year. They want to make a promise to themselves or to those around them that the coming year they will be a better person by changing just one thing about themselves. The most common change is usually to lose weight. Other vows seem to revolve around that idea of losing weight. For example, eating better or exercise would also follow such a vow to lose weight. Usually, these vows only last a short time and several of these people are doing the same thing in February. They give up many of the foods they vowed they would stop eating in January but this time it’s for Lent. I always found it funny that the same vows given in January are being reiterated in February.

With the New Year, we also see things on social media of how happy so many are excited to see the old year has gone and the New Year begins. People buy into the idea that this coming year will be better. They will be blessed, life will be easier, or generally, karma will avenge their poor past year by ensuring a better following year. It seems so logical too, the law of probability should be one that the negative things that happen in our life at some point should be balanced out by the good things. It as if I had five bad things happen I would be “due” for at least 1 good thing, right? So believing that the following year will be one of prosperity would only make sense if the previous year was truly as bad as perceived. It would make sense that if 2017 was terrible it would not only sound good but would also be reassuring if someone could guarantee 2018 would be your year!

I wish I could substantiate these thoughts and well wishes. All I can do is show what it is we are truly promised. Even if one doesn’t believe in Jesus the only thing we can do is use the past in order to speculate on what the future will hold. Even here we see the past is full of hurt, heartache, trouble, uncertainty, divisiveness, and all matters of pain. So what would make someone believe the future would be any different.

Even as I write this 2018 already had a big scare for the USA. An alert was sent to the people of Hawaii about an approaching missile. It wasn’t until thirty-eight minutes later that another alert was issued saying this was an error. For thirty-eight minutes families were worried, concerned, and fearful for their futures. One mother describes how she was feeling in a very well written Washington Post editorial. Within the first two weeks of 2018, we saw a glimpse that 2018 will not be all we would wish for ourselves and our nation.

In this never-ending cycle of newness, high expectation, and changed lives, to disappointment, hurt, and fear, what, if any, kind of hope or promise are we guaranteed? If we are only looking short term sadly, just more of the same disappointment and pain are ensured both globally and personally.

Consider this “We know that the whole of creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” Romans 8:22. Paul uses the imagery of childbirth to convey the turmoil “all of creation” seems to be in. I have never heard of a woman who had a pleasant childbirth. Even leading up to the day of birth the woman will complain of tiredness, swollen ankles, achy joints, etc. Though the birth might still be many months away her body is still feeling the effects of the expectant baby. Today we see all of creation causing much pain to its people and itself. It seems like every year there are more and more hurricanes. Along with more frequent hurricanes, they are becoming stronger and stronger. Want any proof of this? Look at the last two hurricane seasons in the Atlantic to affect America. Three category five hurricanes occurred in this time frame; Matthew, Irma, and Maria. Since the year 2000, we have seen 11 such storms which is more than any other same time period in recorded history. The frequency of these storms might be consistent through the decades but NASA has confirmed these storms are stronger than in the 1970s. These hurricanes are just as strong and devastating in the Pacific, all around the world hurricanes, are already more powerful than before the eighties. For years scientists have believed that hurricanes would become less frequent as climate changes but they will become more devastating as water levels rise and water temperatures increase but one study (I know one can find a study on anything to prove their point) suggests that the frequency and severity of such storms will increase. One should not be surprised that 2018 would be any different from 2017 as far as natural disasters are concerned. I have not even mentioned the California wildfires, tornados like the one in Oklahoma a few years back, or the increased flooding especially in coastal towns within the last ten years. The destruction from natural disasters will continue and grow increasingly worse if anything, 2018 should be expected to be worse globally than 2017. Globally, 2018 is not predicted or guaranteed to be our year. It is guaranteed to be just as bad as 2017 or worse.

If you are like me you might say “yeah but they don’t affect me personally”. Even if a hurricane hits Japan we might feel sorry or say “that is terrible” and many might even be moved to donate for disaster relief. But even if we volunteer to go and help the citizens that were most affected by such a catastrophe we will still have this thought “I am thankful this did not happen to me”. We are a selfish people and even in this, we might think “but even though it might not be the worlds year in 2018 it still could be mine”. Which is true it could be but is that correct?

Consider your own life. Year in and year out hardships come, we are humbled, ridiculed, and belittled. What makes us think 2018 would be any different? We want it to be different, we try to change our own lifestyles thinking this is the change that will make 2018 all it is meant to be. But, as stated above, those changes do not last and by February many people are making the same changes they promised themselves in January. So again what makes us think 2018 will be any different?

Jerimiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future…” or Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

These are great verses but I would wonder why other verses seem to contradict this such as the words of Jesus in John 15:18-25. Jesus is telling His disciples the world will hate them and treat them with contempt just because they associate themselves with Jesus. He says if the world treats Him so mercilessly how much more will they be treated. For anyone who is a follower of Christ, the only thing they are promised in this life is grief, heartache, pain, and loneliness. Even if, for some reason, those outside of Christ, would believe they are exempt why would Jesus say “He [God] causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” in Matthew 5:45? No matter how good or evil someone is they will get rained on! The only thing we are promised, individually, is more heartache, pain, and turmoil. There is no promise of 2018 being your year. In fact, the more righteous you are the worse this will be for you.

Why would someone, God, who is love, allow so much pain and suffering to those He loves? A parent might say I desire my child to be free of pain and if I have anything in my power to prevent pain even to the point of taking that pain on myself I would because I love my child. If a person can say that about their child why does God not do the same? Why does He not do everything He can to prevent us from enduring so much pain?

This is because God would rather crush you and drive you from your self-pity, self-righteousness, pride, and “look what I can do” mentality and get you to bow to Him than see you succumb to the end result of such pride. His desire is to save you from yourself. The temporary pain is nothing when compared to allowing us to continue down our path of self-sufficiency and self-gratification.

Think about this for a minute, the parent I stated above who would do anything to keep their child safe has to take that child to the hospital because of their sickness. In the ER the physician says the child needs a bunch of tests and fluids. In order to do this, the nurse will have to insert an IV. The child afraid of needles screams, cries, and pleads for mom and dad to not make them have to get an IV. The parents are in the corner in tears but they can not intervene because if they do they know their child will only get worse and not get the medical care the child so desperately needs. They have every right to act and intervene and have every opportunity to take that pain and suffering away from their child. But if they do the healing process for their child will never happen and the child could even die from the reason they were brought to the hospital. Because they love their child they continue to stand by and cry with their child but they refuse to step in and stop the pain of blood work and an IV.

God KNOWS you are sick. Even if you can not see it nor know how bad your sickness is God KNOWS you are sick. He is trying to heal you from this sickness and if He were to intervene you will only die in your sickness. He DOES love you that is why He does not step in and make your life easy. In fact, He seeks out opportunities for you to heal. The healing process is painful but worth it! By wishing for it to end you are wishing God to take away the very thing He is using to correct your sickness.

“I don’t feel sick” many may say but this sickness isn’t something physical like a sore throat, runny nose, or fever. This sickness is pride. The holy, righteous, self-sufficient, majestic God of all the universe will not compete or tolerate any worship to be given to anyone or anything outside of Himself. Our pride seeks to glorify ourselves in His place. This sickness of pride will only have one outcome and it is an outcome God does not want to see you experience. He will do anything, right now, to help you give up your pride and humble yourself to Him. How far will God go to get you to rid your self of this pride? Look what God did to Job. God allowed Job to lose all of his children, all of his wealth, and became the sickest person history had ever written about. Whether allegorical or not the bottom line is God will not even spare you your health if humility is the end result of all worship and glory going only to God. This sickness we all have has resulted in an eternity apart from the only one who we can feel and be complete in. No matter what He does to us now we are still destined to live forever in punishment.

So we ask “why does God not do something about this ‘sickness’ of ours and relent on some of this punishment”? This assumes He has not already done something.

Here is the thing;  you are worse than sick. In fact, you were DEAD. That is right dead! What can a dead person do? nothing. they can just lay still. While we exist in death, Jesus came down to give you life. See Jesus isn’t in the business of making bad people good but making dead people live! So the idea that He is doing nothing to stop the pain is false. In fact, He already did everything He could. The pain you feel today is either to crush you so you fall flat on your knees before Him and to rid you of your pride or to transform you more into being like His Son. Either way, pain has a reason and it is something He will not ever remove from your life. He would rather crush you and your pride so that you submit and acknowledge Christ as Lord than do nothing and see you for an eternity apart from Him.

This is NOT to say nothing good will happen this year. In fact, this could honestly be the best year of your life. All I am saying is that is not guaranteed. So we should not be surprised when “bad” things do happen to us. With that being said if someone refuses to bow their knee to the only one who can do something about their immorality this temporary moment we call life is the closest they will ever come to Heaven. Which includes renewed relationships, corrected hurts and pain, a perfect identity, flawless expression of who you were made to be, and a guiltless enjoyment of everything that you enjoy here. If someone remains prideful and declares “I am the captain of my own life” then everything they cherish, love, enjoy, and live for will be taken away and eternal punishment is all that awaits. To try to prevent that from happening, God will have no problem making one year miserable if it means an eternity with Him. Accept the suffering as joy that God has found you worthy to mold you to be more like Christ or accept it as God’s way of driving you to your knees to give worship only to the one who is worthy of it, God alone.