2024- Did you make it through?

In years gone by, it used to be the custom to send your friends and family an annual letter at Christmas time summarizing the years’ happenings, the kids’ achievements, the holidays taken, the new job, the new car etc.

These letters were most likely typed up and often complete with photos to add extra pizzazz and maybe included a festive family photo to hang on the fridge.

I never bothered with this tradition because quite frankly, some years either I didn’t feel I achieved very much, or I thought that no one would really care if I had or hadn’t. Maybe I was just plain lazy and couldn’t be bothered adding another thing to my to-do list.

So, where am I going with all this?

It is simply this.

Most likely, you’ve already been seeing a lot of posts on social media of people sharing how much they achieved in 2024, and reels of the year gone by. But I want to encourage you, in case someone needs to hear this:

It’s okay if all you did this past year was just get through.

It’s okay if all you did was survive another year. It’s okay if you made it through, day after day, simply putting one foot in front of the other, working hard at your job, tending to the children, looking after your husband, feeding your family, serving in your local church in whatever capacity.

It’s okay.

You don’t have to have an amazing list of achievements beside your name.

If you were faithful in the little things, God saw it and he took notice of it and he is pleased.

I think sometimes that comparison can become such an enemy to our peace of mind. We see what others are doing on our social media feeds and we hang our heads in despair feeling worthless.

We beat ourselves up over our seeming lack of accomplishments.

Comparison is often a thief of joy.

Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians against comparing ourselves with others.

2 Corinthians 10:12 KJV - For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Comparison can often be crippling. If we spend our days pouring over what others have accomplished and look on in despair at our own accomplishments, we will most likely spiral into a defeated mindset and pretty soon, we will begin to downplay all the little things we do that really hold significance, if only we saw them through God’s eyes.

There have been years in my past where all I did was get through. By the skin of my teeth. But by God’s grace, I made it to the end of the year and started up again with the dawn of the new one.  

There were years where I served tirelessly in a ministry in the church and saw no fruit for my labours.

There were years of sickness where it was all I could do to get food on the table and the dishes and clothes washed.

Praise God for this precious promise found in Lamentations.

Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV - It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

These verses hold great hope for me as I know that no matter what happens, how my day goes, or how my year went, God’s mercies are never-ending and he gives me a fresh start each morning.

Someone today reading this needs to hear this. Someone out there needs to know that it’s okay if all you did was make it through.

You’re doing a good job. You are making a difference. Whether you realise it or not.

If you haven’t already discovered, everyone works at their own pace. Some are super go-getters; others are plodders and neither one is better than the other.

As you look back on the year gone by, don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t worry that you didn’t achieve big things.

If you are still breathing, then God’s not done with you yet!

If you made it through the past year and you are still walking with the Lord, trusting him, claiming his promises, reading his Word, fellowshipping with other believers and obeying God as you take it one day at a time, then you have achieved great things!

What may seem small to you is significant in God’s eyes, and what you see as huge in others lives, may be a mere spec from God’s perspective.

So, weary mother, if you feel a failure because you haven’t been able to keep a consistent daily quiet time routine due to the demands of tending to little one’s day in and day out, don’t give up. Your acts of service to your family are noticed by God and the little moments when you are able to read a Psalm and meditate on it throughout the day will help you to keep going as you rely on God’s strength.

Young woman, working hard at your job where you feel unappreciated and the promotion never comes, the beach getaways are nowhere to be seen, stick at it. God sees and he cares.

We are all in different seasons of life and God knows this.

What I’m trying to emphasize is that it’s okay if all you did this past year was simply make it through.

Our goal as a believer should be to grow in our spiritual walk and develop a closer relationship with Christ through spending time in his Word and talking to him on a regular basis through prayer.

The earthly pursuits we chase after pale into insignificance in comparison to building God’s kingdom and chasing hard after him.

Don’t be concerned with achieving great things in the world’s eyes.

Take some time to look back to a year ago and see if you have grown spiritually. Are you in a different place in your Christian walk than you were 12 months ago? Has it been a gradual climb?

Maybe you haven’t been able to do all the things you hoped to in the past year, but if you are growing as a Christian and serving God with all your heart, then you’ve done well.

Just keep on being faithful to him.

By all means, set goals, make plans, have a vision for the year ahead, but don’t beat yourself up when you don’t achieve all you hoped to.

God is looking for heart growth. He’s looking for things that hold eternal value.

Start out the new year with a prayer to God. Maybe it could go something like this:

Dear God,

I thank you for the year gone by and all you have accomplished in it that is unseen by me. I thank you for the blessings you’ve showered upon me, but I also thank you for the struggles you’ve allowed me to go through as I know that you work all things for my good and through the hard times, you help to purify me and make me more like you.

I pray Lord for strength and wisdom for the new year ahead. I pray that I will be more focused on spiritual growth and working to build your kingdom than I am with building my own little empire of wood, hay, stubble here on earth.

I pray for your hand of protection to be upon me and that you will give me endurance to run the race you’ve set before me. Help me not be distracted by what the world has to offer.

Help me to see that walking faithfully with you and obeying you each day is more important than anything else. I pray for your guidance in all my decisions and that your truth will be firmly planted in me and that I will be wholly focused on what is pure and right and that I will give you all the glory.  

Grant me your peace and help me to not just survive but THRIVE!

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.