In 2019, when I was considering what 2020 would birth, I’d suggest that maybe we’ll have 20-20 vision for the first time. I didn’t know exactly what that meant (for me) except I wanted better vision of His will for me, and a hope that we all have clarity of vision for what God has for American.
As it turns out, in 2020 we saw things that left us stunned. A crippling pandemic, civil unrest that resulted in the longest national guard mobilization since WW2, fires, destruction of property, division, economic disintegration because of total shutdown, and the breakdown of infrastructure. And let’s not forget toilet paper riots!
One of the things I’ve seen is how spoiled we have been as a nation. Secure in instant gratification. Secure in entitlement. Secure in abundance. Then when it was all taken away in a span of several months I believe that most began to realize that we had, in fact, birthed a false security. In our recent history as a nation we have put Jesus (our Security) in the backseat, and removed God, or the threat of removing him, from everything possible. Even though… God was the founding Father of America.
These past 12 months people have gone into panic mode – both internally and externally. The external is obvious, but the internal is hidden behind a mask. It’s like God is drawing a parallel with the masks. Like when I asked someone how they might foresee what it would be like to actually walk out in public again without a mask. “Well, I’ll have to be aware of my expressions. With a mask on I can hide what I am truly thinking,” was the very revealing reply.
How about you and me? What would be exposed? In sessions, with Holy Spirit leading, I help clients find what is behind their mask, and the reason I can do that effectively is because I have had many things exposed in my own life. It’s a matter finding that we have a mask, and why we put it on in the first place.
I believe God has been giving each of us the the opportunity to birth something in 2021. And I believe that it is defined as a very real and personal ability to see the mask-less face of Christ so that we will be prepared for 2021. Birthing is work, requires determination, and it’s painful, but the reward cannot be matched!
We just celebrated the birth of Christ. He came to “birth” something within each of us – if we let him! As “newborns” let us be transformed so that we can see the face of Christ. “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God – in the face of Christ .” 2Cor.4:6.
Consider this pandemic as the invisible enemy, and the other invisible enemy. Satan! Whose mission is destruction! He likes that we are masking the truth of our true identity. Or that we don’t even know we’re wearing a mask – because we’ve worn it so long that it’s become the norm.
The phrase, “20/20 hindsight” implies that we can learn from looking back.That’s true, but not where we should live. As I said earlier – let’s consider how we got there and then “birth” a newfound freedom!
As I leave behind 2020 I desire a deeper understand of faith – without – seeing what is ahead. Just knowing I’ll see the face of Christ.
Join me in celebrating a new birth in 2021.