The Dark & Stormy 🌊
Let's stop doing these things in 2025.🤞
Three “outs” for 2025:
If you’ve scanned social media recently, you’ve likely seen a plethora of “2025 Ins and Outs” posts detailing habits and thought patterns the posters want to begin and end with the new year. In keeping with this trend, I’ve suggested below a few “outs” for Christians to stop doing in the coming year.
1. Viewing Others’ Choices as an Attack on Our Own
In our increasingly polarized world, there’s a growing tendency to view anyone who lives or believes differently as directly opposing our way of life. However, this line of thinking is neither true nor helpful. Take, for example, my years-ago decision to attend university. Most people wouldn’t assume my attending was an attack on those who chose not to (or were unable to) pursue higher education. Rather, it was simply the next right step in pursuing the life I wanted.
And yet, I often see Christians feeling threatened by anyone who makes different choices. We live stuck in the mindset that anyone who lives, votes, thinks, or prays differently than we do must be doing so as an attack on our beliefs.
In 2025, may we stop seeing others’ choices as a critique of our own and instead respect others’ ability to choose what’s right for them.
2. Viewing Misery as a Hallmark of Holiness
Suffering is, for most, an unavoidable part of life at one time or another. While we can certainly choose to suffer well in those unavoidable circumstances, I no longer believe in choosing the hardest paths simply because they seem holier.
I’ve interacted with a staggering number of people this year who have chosen their life circumstances based on what feels the most challenging so that God may be glorified in their suffering. Although I believe we can glorify God when we do face hardship, I also believe God is glorified in our joy.
This year, if we have the opportunity to choose with integrity between circumstances that offer us either sorrow or happiness, may we choose the most life-giving path.
3. Believing Others Deserve Their Suffering
I’m heartbroken by the response of many Christians to the wars, natural disasters, and suffering in our world. While there’s often nothing we can do other than donate to relief organizations or pray, our hearts’ response to others’ suffering speaks volumes about what we actually value.
When, for example, Christians talk about California deserving the recent wildfires that have ravaged homes and lives—claiming this disaster as a punishment for the state’s “liberal policies”—they’re valuing self-righteousness over compassion. This condemnation of human pain is not the compassionate heart of Jesus, commiserating with those who suffer, grieving with those who grieve.
In the coming year, may we stop reveling in others’ pain and assuming hardship is always a deserved consequence of their actions.
January Book Recommendation
While each month’s book recommendations usually correspond with the post, my pick for January aligns instead with the season. Amid this January’s bitter cold, long nights of darkness, and political tensions, most of us are feeling weary. Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May offers ways to nurture ourselves through both literal and figurative winters.
January Blog Preview:
As a follow-up to today’s conversation, this month’s blog will explore some “ins” to consider beginning in 2025. To receive the post straight to your inbox, you can subscribe here.