Wow, I can’t believe we are finally in 2020, like two thousand and twenty! I remember when it was the year 2000 and how everyone was excited for the new millennium. Now the same excitement ensues for 2020, as everyone looks eagerly to what this New Year and the start of a new decade entails.
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Where did 2019 go?
It was as if we slept and woke up the next day and 2019 was nowhere to be found. That year went by so fast! I remember when it started I looked forward to what was going to unfold; Let’s Talk Nation was going to turn one, and I prided myself with keeping a blog going (consistently) for a whole year.
I was ready for my big rewards, my next big break! To be on world renowned platforms, to get my name out there; but if there is one thing I have realized in my walk and growth with the Father (God), is that He is not constrained by the timelines/deadlines we put on Him. God comes when He wants to come and He delivers when He wants to deliver.
There is something about Him, time and seasons. He is very particular about them. So when I see people jumping and shouting; that this year is my year, this is my year of xyz, and zyx, I am always like; I hope what you are declaring for yourself is in line with what God wants for you in that season of life.
I have been there; I was always the one jumping and shouting about these sorts of things. I remember one time, many years ago, probably in 2012, my pastor was speaking at the beginning of the year and he said: "I see a lot of people getting married this year!" and I screamed- amen!!!!!!! then one of my friends whispered to my ear: " but why is your amen the loudest?" I know she is a hater!"
It's 2020 and I am still not married, but guess what? that word wasn't for me at that time. No amount of screaming would have made it happen. Thinking back now, I had no business getting married at 24 years old, even if I wanted it badly then.
Same thing happened in 2017; I also made declarations when the year began, but what I wanted for myself was completely different from what God had planned for me and I found myself in a trial, trying to force His hands (See The Shift).
New Year doesn’t necessarily mean new season for everyone
Just because a new year rolls around, doesn’t mean it’s a new season for everybody. For you, you might have to continue doing what you did last year for a couple of years before you experience a shift in your life, while for others it might happen as soon as the year begins. You have to understand the times and seasons you are in. God has a specific plan and purpose for each individual on the planet. What may be good for the goose may not be good for the gander, at a particular time.
Yes 2020 can be a year of endless possibilities, but what is God saying specifically about your life? Those are the words you should take time out to discover. God what do you have planned out for me this year? God what do you want me to accomplish? God is it my time to get married, or have children or switch jobs? Is it my time to start this business or relocate? Is it my time to go on this mission’s trip? These are the types of questions we should ask God. Just because something is good, doesn’t mean it’s the right time. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says—“to everything there is a season; a time for every purpose under heaven.”
Write The Vision, Make it Plain
Now after you have discovered what God’s plans and purpose for your life are, you have to go ahead and write it down because when you do, it becomes real to you. In the book of Habakkuk chapter two, the prophet said in the first verse— “I will stand my watch, and set myself on a rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and I will answer when I’m corrected.”
The crucial thing he said here was that, he will take time out to seek God concerning the issues he had, then wait to see how God will answer. He wasn’t going to rush ahead of himself; He was going to wait for a response from God.
Then in verse two and three, God spoke the popular passage that we all know—“Then the Lord answered me and said: write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an APPOINTED TIME, but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, WAIT for it, because it will SURELY come, it will not tarry.”
It is important for us to seek God about our lives and also write down the things God has spoken to us, so we don’t forget. Because the vision is for an appointed time, sometimes we might get discouraged when it seems slow in coming.
Gosh I thought I would had landed that deal by now, I thought that guy would have asked my out by now or I thought I would have been ahead in such and such industry by now.
Then we go ahead and start doubting if it was God that spoke to us or our emotions. If we saw that dream right, or we were just hallucinating. Sometimes it could be the latter, but most times it might just be a timing issue. I believe that is why the writer in Hebrews 10: 35-36 said—“do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”
We need to maintain that confidence in the voice of God that we heard, so we can see the vision come to pass. Maybe the last five years weren’t your years, maybe you have grown weary, doubting if God will ever come through and fulfill His promise in your life; just know that with each day that passes, even in this New Year, you are closer to what God has for you compared to the years that have passed.
Hebrews 10:37 goes ahead to say—“for yet a little while, He who is coming, will come and will not tarry.” Another passage of scripture says that He is bringing His reward with Him.
So before you go ahead to start naming and claiming it, make sure you take time out to seek God and discover what He has prepared for you and what process it will take to get there, because life is full of twists and turns. I have gotten to a point in my life when all I want Him to do is just continue to order my steps according to what He has in store for me.
There really is no point wasting our time heading in the wrong direction, when we can follow closely behind Him. Now when people ask me; when is this going to happen or when is that going to pan out, my answer is—in God’s timing; because He has promised to make all things beautiful in its time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
2019 in a nutshell
2019 was a great year for me, although there were little stressors here and there and also the unexpected loss of a dear family friend, it wasn’t a bad year at all. I got a job this year, I became more confident in my craft, I met amazing people, made new friends, I had great times with my family this holiday, found out I was going to become…nah let me keep this private for now (haha). God was amazing, and is still amazing.
So what does 2020 hold for me and this platform?
Well my prayer for myself is that God continues to lead me this year; there are even greater things that I trust Him to accomplish, but I also understand that He has an appointed time for things to take place in my life, and I am learning each day to be matured and be open to that.
As far as Let’s Talk Nation is concerned, we turn two next month! And my prayer is that it reaches more people, more stories should be told, more conversations should be had, collaborate with more contributors, people should come to know Christ through this platform and that God opens doors of opportunities that I am not even thinking about right now! Until then, I am trusting Him with the process and watching everything unfold beautifully in its time!
Happy 2020 guys!
What are your New Year goals/resolutions? What do you think about this article? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below, and also remember to like, share and subscribe, never to miss an update.
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About The Author: Evi Idoghor is a Christian, writer, and content creator on Letstalknationblog.com. She is a chemical engineering graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Consumed by her love for writing and desire to effect change, she launched her online platform––Let’s Talk Nation––to tap into her creativity and start meaningful conversations that would make a difference around the world.
Most of her writing has been influenced by her time spent in America, where she lived for about 11 years. Also, she lived in Nigeria and South Korea and currently loves traveling the world while learning about other fascinating cultures. You can find her on all social media platforms with @eviidoghor.