Being Alive in 2025

The buildup and anticipation for Christmas lasts a long time and is exciting for many people. It is a big deal for Christians for obvious reasons. And for those who do not understand the real reason for the holiday it is also a huge day to get ready for and to celebrate. Then comes the day after. I usually feel a little bit of a let down on December 26 and beyond. In a way, Christians should celebrate the incarnation every day of the year. Jesus came to give us life after all. I came across this anonymous little poem that is a good reminder.

So, remember: while December brings the only Christmas day, in the year let there be Christmas in the things you do and say.

Wouldn’t life be worth the living, wouldn’t people be blessed too, if we kept the Christmas spirit all the whole year through?

Instead of being sad that Christmas has come and gone, I want to put my focus on the opportunity to be alive in 2025. Some deal with the post-Christmas blues by looking forward to New Year’s Eve. I know my wife and I will stay up until at least 10pm that night! It is nice to have January 1st off, but then the reality of a cold, dark month sets in. That is why a wise Christian will count their blessings and look beyond the burdens and problems in their life and in the world.

I still remember the concern in December of 1999. Everyone was talking about Y2K and what might happen at midnight when 2000 begins. Our pastor did a sermon series to get us ready for the possible technological and economic doom that may lie ahead of computer systems and all their impact cannot handle the transition. I did stay up that night after midnight like others who were watching, waiting, and praying. As I watched the news, there was not much to report. Then word came of a power outage in Iowa or somewhere. Turns out, someone had crashed into a utility pole. Basically, nothing happened. It was great news.

It is hard to believe that 25 years have passed since then. Of course, a lot has happened in that quarter century. The news has not been great. You may be old enough to remember when the calendar turned to 1975. I recall that year because both the Pirates and Steelers were good back then. Think of how our world has changed in the past 50 years! There have been so many advances and inventions in recent decades. Some of those have improved life greatly. Other changes are very problematic. Technology and communication are incredibly different than they used to be. We see political and racial division. Our culture has become much more secular. Thousands of churches have closed their doors. While sales of Bibles have increased lately, it probably is a result of more people seeking to find truth and hope in a world that has become godless and dark. Americans are heavily medicated, but many are still dealing with depression, disease, and death.

The tendency in approaching the future is to look at things negatively. There is concern about climate change. There is talk of escalation of conflicts and wars. Senseless violence takes place in big cities and very rural areas. Many have seen the impact of broken families, drug abuse, and open borders. Inflation has led to ongoing struggles for many. AI is an amazing tool that affects everyday life for many people. It also is a technology that has a very dark side and an unknown future. These things and many other issues can leave us discouraged and fearful. Life in 2025 will certainly be interesting. However, a person of faith should have enough faith to navigate our modern world by trusting in the Lord and looking for ways to engage our culture in a way that points others to the God who is with us. The world around us may be seeing radical changes. God’s love is unchanging. His plan for salvation remains the same. We just celebrated the birthday of the Son whose name means salvation.

A good starting point for living for God and living by faith in the new year is by living according to his word. The Bible is available in several excellent translations. We can read paper copies of study Bibles. Some favor electronic Bibles on their phones and tables. We can easily listen to the Bible. It is important to get into the word and let the word get into us. Being alive in 2025 can be benefited greatly when we are committed to knowing and living according to the Bible. The word of God is living and active… (Hebrews 4:12). If you have not made the Bible a priority lately, this would be a great time to make a change.

Another focus on being alive in 2025 is remembering your standing with God and what the Lord brought you out of. Whether you are a new Christian or have walked with the Lord for decades, you are blessed beyond measure. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5). God’s love and mercy made something amazing possible – being made alive with Christ. This is the ultimate contrast to being dead in our sin. Being alive with Christ gives us great purpose in this life. We are the hands and feet of Jesus. Christians are his spokespersons. We live in a world where those who are dead spiritually need the good news of the one who came to save people from their sins.

If we do not remain physically alive in 2025, we have nothing to fear if we are in Christ. Since Jesus is the resurrection and the life those who believe in him will live even though they die (John 11:25-26). We just celebrated God becoming man. Jesus came from heaven to earth so that one day we will go from earth to heaven. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man (1 Corinthians 15.21). Revelation 21 says God will live with us, be with us and be our God. It adds that he is making everything new. That gives us great hope in tackling a new year. May the Lord make you thrive in 2025!