For as long as I can remember, I have always loved new things. And I can only assume what you’re thinking…”who doesn’t love new things?” Well, odds are we are probably not thinking about the same kind of new. Aside from the occasional (and very rare) purchase of new a item like a hand mixer or a phone…which both require you to open a box and peel back a few layers to reveal this beautifully, untouched item (did you sense the joy in that sentence?). The kind of new I am talking about is something that is intangible and frankly, way more satisfying to me then peeling back the protective sticker on a new iPhone…but that definitely does come in as a close second. The kind of new I am talking about is the new that only comes when you journey into the unexpected.

I made the decision about 2 weeks before 2019 was over to not set personal goals (a.k.a resolutions) for 2020. Which could sound absolutely crazy to some…but for the most part, personal goals don’t work for me. I find in my life, it has placed limitations on what God wants to do in and through me. And I understand it’s not the goal itself that places the limitation, it’s more so me (probably unjustly) feeling constricted by the goal. It’s a perspective thing really. But, as I was reading Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson (an incredible 40 day prayer devotional) there was something I read that really shifted how I wanted to start the new year. In the day 10 reading he talks about “crazy faith” and the parable of the persistent widow in the book of Luke. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s Luke 18:1-8. And it follows the story of a woman who was so desperate for justice that she persistently went to the towns judges home until she got what she was seeking. Now in Draw the Circle, he said this one line that made me check my faith:

“…when bold prayers become the norm, so do the miraculous breakthroughs that follow.” 

It made me question are my prayers bold and persistent enough that miraculous breakthroughs are just the norm? And I can honestly say 85% of the time, yes. But there was still a lingering 15% of my faith that was hesitant and doubting. The funny thing about that is what lies in the 15% is the specific promises/visions God has already given me. And prior to this perspective change, I received these promises and believed them, but I was also tested the most in them which caused a little doubt to sneak in. So to combat the natural, humane, reaction to doubt, I chose to be bold and persistent in my expectations with God.

Which is why as I journey into the unexpected, I am doing so with the expectation that God will honor my bold, persistent faith. I don’t want to waste time being goal driven but instead God driven. Taking everything I have received in 2019 and eagerly seeking God for more. I am a firm believer that if God showed you something, it wasn’t for you to just sit on (unless He told you to be still). It was for you to get up and act on. I don’t want to waste anymore time sitting, I want to act. And if you’ve been sitting, this is your chance. Your new start. Your journey into the unexpected. A lot can happen in a decade. My question for you is what will you choose to do with this one?

Happy New Year!

Shakira McGowan