A happy New Year to you and yours. The calendar turns, but the calling does not. New years bring fresh resolve, fresh mercy, and a sober reminder that time is a gift to be stewarded. We carry lessons from last year without dragging its weight behind us. Gratitude belongs at the front door of January, gratitude for life, for family, for hard-won wisdom, and for the grace that met us when we fell short. As believers, we don’t step into a new year chasing luck or trends. We step forward anchored in purpose, trusting the Lord who orders our steps. Whatever this year holds, joy or trial, clarity or tension, we enter it with eyes open, hearts steady, and confidence that God is already present in the days ahead.
This year also unfolds in the shadow of an election cycle, and with it a familiar national unease. Elections sharpen rhetoric, harden camps, and test institutions. Power is contested, narratives collide, and every issue feels existential. That climate affects markets, families, churches, and communities, whether we like it or not. We should neither ignore it nor be consumed by it. Scripture calls us to be wise, sober-minded, and discerning. The political landscape matters because policy shapes daily life, but it is not ultimate. It is a tool, sometimes used well, sometimes abused. As citizens, we pay attention. As Christians, we remember that no election decides who sits on the throne of heaven.
There is much riding on this year politically. A shift in Congress could stall or reverse progress made in 2025, particularly around border security, drug trafficking crackdowns, efforts to reduce the size and reach of government, and administrative reform. Added to that is the constant drumbeat of litigation and talk of impeachment, language already resurfacing among Democratic leaders and commentators as a political weapon rather than a constitutional safeguard. This cycle of accusation and paralysis exhausts the nation and distracts from governing. It reminds us how fragile progress can be when driven solely by the thirst for political power rather than the principles of righteousness.
The stakes feel high because instability breeds uncertainty, and uncertainty invites fear, which is never a wise counselor. That is why we must remember who we are in the Lord. Jesus prayed in John 17:16, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” We live here, work here, vote here, but our identity is rooted elsewhere. My prayer for you this year echoes Paul’s charge in Ephesians 6:13: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God… and having done all, to stand.” This will be a pivotal year, prophetically and personally. Draw close to the Lord. Stay in the palm of His hand. Keep His commandments. Make choices led by the Holy Spirit unto righteousness. Stand firm, steady, and faithful.
