How to Be Hopeful in the New Year

Is it even possible to be hopeful in the new year when it seems so unpredictable and unknown? Perhaps you are struggling with finding hope in a future that holds so much of the previous year’s unpleasant happenings. You long for what you once had and wonder if life will ever go back to the way it used to be.

You are not alone. Stay there for a moment; recognize your losses, grieve them, and when you are ready, let’s discover how to be hopeful in the new year. It is possible!

Hope is Sometimes Hard to Find

Perhaps you are discouraged, overwhelmed, or carrying too many burdens on your shoulders. After all, it has been a challenging year for many. For some, illness has struck, money is tight, or you have lost a loved one over this past year. It has been an unexpected year in many ways, but we can’t let that hold us back.

We each must ask ourselves, why is it challenging to be hopeful in the new year? Let me encourage you to write down your burdens on little pieces of paper, and if you are courageous, will you please share them with us in the comments. 

Many times hope can appear scary and confusing. We worry if we put our faith in something happening and it doesn’t come true, we have somehow failed. It almost seems like expecting less might somehow make the disappointment less.

A Lesson in Hope

Hope was hard to grasp at first. After all, my sweet friend, Sara, had a 5% chance of survival. What if I prayed and hoped for healing and she didn’t make it? Would it mean my faith was weak, and hope was useless?

Have you ever entertained these thoughts?

However, as I walked alongside Sara together, we discovered the true meaning of hope, and my thoughts began to change. My sweet friend fought valiantly to survive her cancer. I admired her fight and was honored to see how hope could soar in her life even when the statistics pointed in another direction. Although it was painful, I found it a privilege to be a part of her world.  

Of course, we hoped and prayed for healing. But we soon learned about a different kind of hope, one that does not disappoint. It is the hope we find in God, not in our circumstances miraculously improving.

Our faith is not in a God who waves His wand and gives us everything we request. But instead, it is about a Lord who will never ever leave us and who loves us. Despite her circumstances, my sweet friend displayed a hope that soared because she placed it in God.

Together we learned:

• Hope is possible at all times through all things.
• We may not get the answer we want, and yet our hope can remain strong.  
• The Lord’s plan is good and right even when we don’t understand it. 
• God will never take us where He can’t sustain us.   
• He will never leave us.
• Putting our trust and hope in God will not disappoint. 

He promises us to be by our side until our last breath here on earth and then, of course, an eternity in His presence for those who believe. I have no doubt God was with my sweet friend until the very end of her time here on earth.     

 To clarify, because I can almost hear your wheels turning. Not for one minute do I think God gave my sweet friend cancer. We live in a broken world, but God can bring good out of tragedy, and He has. We can hang on to hope every step of the way. God’s hope will not disappoint. 

On many occasions, I have struggled to find hope in a new year. It is easy to become discouraged. You can click here to read “Finding Hope in the Darkness of the Unknown. It was a time when my child first began exhibiting signs of mental illness, and I needed to find hope like never before.

How to Be Hopeful in the New Year

Let Go of Your Burdens

As we head into this new year, let’s look at the burdens we are carrying. Perhaps, it is time to let God have them and start fresh. Unfortunately, letting go seems to be a practice we must continually do, even with the ones we have already surrendered.

Maybe right now is a great time to take those slips of paper from above and place them at the feet of Jesus. Let God have it all. Burn them, bury them, heck flush them down the toilet—whatever it takes to let go of what is holding you back from finding hope. 

In 2020 we spent a great deal of time at Embracing the Unexpected, learning to let go. Please visit our page here for any posts you may have missed.  

Hold on to What Matters

Although our storms may toss us back and forth, God can keep us steady if we never let go of Him. However, we often let our grip on God loosen when we become discouraged or when He doesn’t answer our prayers in the way we think is best. After all, we know He can perform a miracle but doesn’t always choose this path for us or those we love. 

Have you let God slip away? Has your hope for a better year gone adrift?  

Scripture to Help Us Be Hopeful in the New Year

We need to release our grip on many matters, but we must remember never to let go of God. Trust Him with it all. Grab Jesus as you go into this new year. Don’t release your grip. Cling to His hope and love and let His peace and love wash over you. 

Please share with us how you plan to stay hopeful in the new year. Or where you might like a prayer to help ease your burdens.

As we close out this year, let’s grab on to God and be hopeful in the new year. See below for a new tool to help you set a spiritual goal for the new year.

2024 Embracing Goals | Choose the Most Important Goal First

Struggling to identify your life’s pivotal goal? ‘Embracing Goals’ workbook guides you to prioritize a spiritual pursuit that transforms. Say goodbye to failed resolutions; embrace personal growth with God at the center. Unlock unexpected success—commit, persevere, and align with His will. Take the leap today!

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Embracing the Unexpected | Maree Dee

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