As we stand on the threshold of a New Year, none of us know what lies ahead. Many of the predictions for 2011 never came to pass. Yet, many people are fearful of the future because of the “unknown” factor. That fear paralyzes them from ever fulfilling the purpose of their life. So the question that needs to be answered is, “How can one face the future without fear and with a sense of purpose?”
In John 14:1, Jesus told his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” Jesus is trying to let them know that He is about to go away and that things are going to be different than they had been for the last 3 years. As He reveals some of the plan for the disciples, Thomas asked the question that many people today would ask; “How can we not be fearful about the future? You say you are leaving and we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5) The fear of the unknown has struck the hearts of his closest friends.
Change is difficult for most people. We like the conveniences that technology and science bring our way but we don’t like what we don’t know. The disciples were not any different so Jesus reveals this truth: “… The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” John 14:10
All that was happening in the life of Jesus was the work of his Father in heaven: His birth, his flight into Egypt, his growing up as the son of a carpenter, his encounters with the religious leaders of the day, and the miracles done by his hands. All this was the working of the Father.
And what lay ahead of him was also the working of the Father: The betrayal by a friend, the trial by his peers, the beatings by the soldiers, the mocking of the crowd, and the laying down of his life. All this too was part of the working of the Father. But let's not leave it there: the resurrection, victory over death, hell, and the grave were also a working of the Father.
The point is this: With Jesus Christ as our source, we can face the challenges of each day with the understanding that He is working His work in us. (Romans 8:28). What God has started, He is able to complete.
So face 2012 with a sense of purpose, a sense of destiny and a sense of adventure and walk forward in confidence of the One who has called you His own!

