What keeps you “in the game” when life doesn’t seem to cooperate? Who do you connect with when your understanding of “God’s goodness” isn’t what you believe it should be at the moment? What stories do you reference when you aren’t sure you can keep moving forward? A mentor of mine would say, “What is revealed in the light, don’t disregard in the dark.” So what do you do when it is dark?

Over time, in these moments, I’ve worked to develop a set of “faith anchor points” for my life. Those things/people/stories I refer to to remind myself of what I knew to be true “in the light” that for whatever reason have been hidden.

So what am I referring to? What have these been?

Now first, let me state that, at the core, is an increased understanding of and engagement in, the simplicity and power of God’s love for me and his grace. To truly grasp this – of which I believe I am a bit more each year – is such a beautiful thing and this will guide you through anything.

However, earthly speaking, what else gives me strength and confidence to move forward “in the dark?”

• My grandfather, who I never met and who my father never knew because he died when my father was one year old. Yet his story of faith in the midst of communism, to stay true to his beliefs and serve as a pastor, even though it led to his death, continues to motivate me to stay the course.

• Older mentors who are still in the game. These are people who, in their 70s and 80s and 90s, continue to press in. Their faith is vibrant. They continue to learn more about who God is and what he has for them to do. They haven’t settled for a “coasting” faith, they are always “in the race.” I am encouraged by this.

• Biographies of faithful followers of Jesus. I hadn’t read many over my life, but in the fall I came across a series of biographies while working with friends in Lithuania. I quickly read 4 of them in two weeks. And was I ever encouraged. People who pushed through the most difficult of circumstances because of their unwavering faith in the call of God on their lives. I keep thinking back to their stories.

• My global friends. As I hear the stories of my friends in Lithuania, Kurdistan, Iran, the Czech Republic, Kenya, and more, I am often challenged about my small faith, and encouraged to stay the course in many aspects of my journey of being a disciple of Jesus. They have, and continue to, move through incredible obstacles for the sake of sharing Jesus and guiding others. What a faith anchor they continue to be for me.

• People who have experienced deep pain in life and yet stay the course without wavering. One gentleman who often comes to mind is a person I prayed with in a men’s prayer group every Monday for more than 10 years. He himself came to faith in Jesus in his late 20s. During our time, he lost his wife and daughter to cancer, his son lived with chronic pain since his late teens and at this time was in his 40s. Yet he would show up every Monday morning and pray. He was thankful for the good things he did have in life. Yes, he would express his pain in honest ways in his prayers, yet this never deterred him from believing in the goodness of God. I am forever grateful that our lives intersected.

So, what about you? What do you choose to think about when “what was revealed in the light” is no longer visible? What holds you firm? What are your “Faith Anchor Points?”

For the kingdom.

It would appear that I have not restricted how Google engages with me on my phone. Big brother is truly watching me.

I recently received my 2022 Google Maps timeline and it was quite interesting. Assuming it is fairly accurate, in 2022:

• I went to 9 countries, 72 cities, 495 places
• I travelled 74,503 kilometres
• I walked 1,005 kilometres
• I drove 33,230 kilometres
• I flew 39,282 kilometres
• I cycled 385 kilometres
• I spent 198 hours in restaurants

As it is early January, I am in the process of working through an annual reflection exercise as well. I am a reflective person on a consistent basis, yet there is something about the process of looking at a specific period of time – a year – and pausing to determine if you are living the life you desire to live. As they say, we overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year. So looking back on a year can be a good thing.

In all honesty though, I have seen more and more that most people don’t live life intentionally, they simply respond to what is in front of them, and typically mimic the actions and priorities of those around them. As one mentor has stated, “Most people don’t live their lives, they simply accept their lives.”

I had a mentoring call recently with a young man who truly desires to follow Jesus and have an impact. He was talking about the goals he wants to set for himself for the upcoming year, something he said he has never done before but believes it will truly help him live the life he believes God is calling him to. And yet, he knows he gets distracted easily and is fearful that he will be clear about the goals but then not achieve them. As the saying goes, “We have uphill aspirations and downhill habits.” I am looking forward to coming alongside him as he chooses intentionality for the upcoming year.

So as I look at my Google Maps report, it is good to consider how impactful these 9 country 72 city visits and 74,000+ kilometres of travel were. Can I declare that I lived intentionally in 2022? Was I in the places I was supposed to be with the people I was supposed to be with? When I sat in those restaurants, were the conversations meaningful, providing encouragement and challenge as appropriate? Can I say that I was living the life that I am so often calling others to live?

How about you? Are you swept up in the river of the culture around you, doing whatever those around you are doing? 

Reflect on these amazing verses in 1 Corinthians 2.

10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. 14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

As you move into a new year, how is your mind? Is it in sync with the mind of Christ? Are you allowing God’s Spirit to search your spirit and reveal things to you? You see, “people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths.”

When you receive your “God Maps” at the end of 2023, what will it reveal about your year?

For the Kingdom.