“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…” Joel 2:25a (NIV)
Happy new year, everybody! It’s nice to be back. I hope you all are enjoying Christmastime (if you follow your old Christmas carols, you know there are twelve days of Christmas, so it’s still Christmas even if you have already scuffed your new kicks).
In past years, I’ve shared with you a focus word — a theme word that I hold as an intention for the new year. In 2016, for example, I had the word Desire. Last year, it was Breakthrough. This year the word that keeps coming back to me, in and out of prayer, is the word Restoration. Let me unpack what this word is saying to me and why it is my focus word for 2019.
Worldview
If you’ve been reading here awhile, you know I’m big on worldview — specifically a biblical worldview. You can read more about that here . But in the cheat code version, a world view addresses four main issues and questions. They are:
- Creation – Where did we come from?
- Fall — What is our fundamental problem?
- Redemption — What’s the cure for our problem?
- Restoration — In light of the cure, how should we live?
From the outset, the word restoration is powerful to me because if its broad scope and purposefulness in setting things right. I am concerned with personal restoration in some measurable ways, as well as with the abstract “out there”, as I hope to illustrate. Here are the areas I think of when I consider Restoration for 2019:
Health
This is primarily an intention for friends and family members who have been struggling with chronic conditions as well as the ravages of time. In 2019, I’d like to see them restored to health through better choices, doing what they can. And I pray God’s grace and healing for what they can’t do on their own.
Fitness
By now, it’s a cliche that everybody wants to get back in shape in the new year. I confess that last year, I let myself drift from maintenance mode to something below that. I feel it. i see it. I know what to do and I’m going to change it. One of my best Christmas gifts — in true “Advent Conspiracy” spirit — was several sessions with a personal trainer to kickstart my motivation. Just what I needed.
Career/Finances
Last year turned out well. In the arena of work and finances, I experienced something of the breakthrough I was hoping for. We were, at last, able to tackle some pesky debt. Restoration for me in this area will mean making better use of the money God entrusts to me, sticking to a workable budget, and seeing to some things that I should have taken care of a long time ago.
We all do the best we can with what we have, but eventually, the house has to be painted, the refrigerator or the water heater dies, you have to replace the garage door, or the car will need new tires. I’m thankful to be in a position where these events — when they come — won’t be a crisis.
Meanwhile, I’m thankful for the success I’ve enjoyed in my current role, and the contributions I’ve made to the company. At the same time I’m feeling restless in this new year. Restoration in this regard would mean a new challenge — an opportunity to make my mark and create value in a new space. It could be I’m projecting this onto my career from a different facet of my life, but I have learned not to ignore this when it comes.
Society/Politics
I have published several posts based on Roy H. Williams’ and Michael Drew’s book, Pendulum, and my reading of the news suggests the authors’ predictions are, unfortunately, true. Restoration in this sense will be to seek the welfare of the city and the area where I live.
I believe what Jesus said about our being salt and light in this world. If you’ve been reading these posts over the years, you’ll have noticed that I tend not to discuss partisan politics much (policy, yes). That’s intentional. I have very strong opinions, and I even like to argue, but I think the times are such that we need to emphasize what we hold in common, rather than picking at the scab of where we differ.
I want to see alienated friends and family members restored to each other, and I am going to continue to stay out of the social media mud. If we can avoid the kind of trouble keyboard warriors like to conjure up, good. If, on the other hand, things get as bad as the book predicts, I want to prepare myself and my household to come out on the other side intact and to be part of the — you guessed it — restoration.
Manners and morals
The famous British abolitionist William Wilberforce set about to end the cruel and immoral slave trade, but also to work for, as he put it, “the reformation of morals.” Restoration in our day will take the form of engaging in public questions with an eye toward solving problems. For my part, I intend to do this with the best thinking I can muster and in as kind a manner as I can. I intend never to be a doormat, but I don’t want to treat people of goodwill like one, either.
Those who want to pick a fight or wish us harm will be in our prayers. After that, we’ll deal appropriately.
Wanting to be part of the solution
When we look back at that worldview section, it’s hard to miss that God’s purpose in sending Jesus to be our redeemer was ultimately to restore and renew not just his favorites, but the entire cosmos. It is dented, dinged-up, and rusty, but God says He plans to renew it all. Trust me — you want to be part of it.
So like Wilberforce, let’s use the resources, the strengths, the gifts, and the contacts we have to make this battered world a much better place.
How will we know when we get there?
Quite simply, we won’t. But just because we can’t in our own strength construct a Heaven on earth that is not a reason we should not strive to make this earth as much like Heaven as it can possibly be. Think about what this would look like in terms of justice, education, opportunity, and economic and social mobility.
I assure you, I didn’t get hit in the head and become a Utopian Socialist. I am still a believer in capitalism as the greatest engine of prosperity for the greatest number of people — but we can do better. Part of this resides in the object of our service. If we love and serve God and love our neighbor — seeking the best for him — we aren’t going to pile up wealth so we can hoard it. Instead, we will seek to put it to work to accomplish the work of restoration. Where we have been successful, we will create opportunities for others to succeed. We will connect people with needs to the people who have the means to address those needs. And we will live in community as beggars who found bread and are busy telling other beggars where they can find it, too.
I look forward to what this year will bring — especially since I see the amount of work it will take.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic. Bring your best manners, please.