“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8
I am glad that football season is ending when the new year is beginning. This first half of 2025 is shaping up to be busy, with quite a few important things to accomplish, and the fewer tempting distractions there are, the better! In full disclosure, it’s been quite a rough year for 49ers fans. Football can be a “good” distraction—to an extent in its proper time and place, of course.
There are, however, many “bad” distractions that intentionally compete for our attention in this digital age. Many of these things add little value to our lives, are quick little dopamine hits, and play to our vanity. There are many avenues for negative things to reach us. One tragic event reaches us instantly through multiple media channels—TV, radio, newspaper, news websites, social media, and through notifications that will pop up on our phones as soon as a negative event happens. We should not be callous or immune to the suffering of others, but we do get desensitized with the abundance of information and become the digital versions of the Priest and Levite who passed by the half-dead traveler on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho in the parable of the Good Samaritan.
In a world with so much negativity, it’s easy to let our minds be tainted, become subconsciously cynical and let our outlook be unnecessarily pessimistic. It has become increasingly hard to stay positive because the messaging is so negative from everywhere around us. This reminded me of Philippians 4:8 where Apostle Paul encourages us to elevate our thinking and set our thoughts on more noble heights. When we elevate our thinking by remembering God’s word, a lot of the negativity dissipates, and His truths become clear and evident. Let’s remember that when the nations conspire and rage, the 2nd psalm says the Lord sits enthroned and laughs. When we fret about the economy and finances, Psalm 50 reminds us that all the earth is the Lord’s and further says, “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine…for the world and its fullness are mine.” When our world is in darkness, Lamentations reminds us that it’s because of God’s great love we have not perished and that His mercy is new every morning. When we have doubts and struggles with our faith, the epistle of Romans reminds us that nothing in the universe could possibly ever separate us from the love of God.
May we remember that all we do this new year, we do for the glory of God. Our goals to be better financial stewards, healthier people, and progress in education can also serve God. Financial stewardship can lead to more financial support for missionaries and local church plants, healthier legs can carry them further across the mission fields, medical education can save lives, and apologetics can combat the delusions of atheism. As previously noted in our preceding blog, when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, how the resolution is framed can determine whether it succeeds or fails. Positively framed resolutions are easier to attain. We should focus on what we gain versus what we must give up. As Christians, we have the utmost privilege of knowing what we have gained in Christ, know that our work here on earth is not in vain, and knowing that Lord is the wind behind our back as we set sail into this new year!
Wishing a Happy New Year to our faithful Ministry Partners and dedicated investors!
Vadim Sidlovskiy
