“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)

This is one of the sweetest times of the year! There is a buzz in the air as stores rep their New Year merchandise and the world comes together to recognize a new beginning. But it can also be a challenging time as one more Christmas gets wrapped up, family members leave for normal routines and one more year comes to a close. We will soon be busy ushering in the New Year, but what of 2017? This change is inevitable and yet it still causes us to pause in reflection.

Will 2018 be better than 2017? Will it be harder? What lies ahead for you in the future?

Paul’s words to the church of Corinth remind us as believers of such an incredible hope during this time of transition. He was writing to a persecuted church reconciling this journey between what is seen (the current physical world) and what is unseen (the promise of eternal). Regardless of what you are experiencing today, there is something better coming in Christ!

Isn’t this the longing of every heart? Whether you are a child longing to grow up, a couple wanting to start a family or a retiree getting up in the morning, there is a belief that the future will be better.

Paul goes on in verse 17 to say our “light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” As believers, we look forward with anticipation for this eternal glory, something that cannot even compare to anything we have ever known. So even if our outward body is tired as yet another year passes, we are growing each day, becoming more and more like our Father and sharing His peace, joy, hope, love and goodness.

Proverbs 4:18 says: “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” In this way, as a believer, there really is always something to look forward to. We are being renewed day by day by the Lord Most High. His mercies are new each morning, and we are able to grow each day in our understandings of Him and personal relationships with Him. Hope – this waiting for what’s to come – reigns in our lives so we can face each day with anticipation, trusting in the Lord’s purposes until the day we finally see Him face to face.

With joy and confidence, I pray that you embrace this New Year! It may be filled with hardships, but for the believer, as we grow more and more into the likeness of Christ, there is such an incredible hope and unexplainable joy as we share His life no matter the circumstances. May this be a new beginning for you where you see the Lord move and know His presence increasingly more!

Grand Canyon University would like to wish you a Happy New Year! To learn more about GCU’s foundation of faith, visit our website or use the Request More Information button on this page.