Reflections on 2025

“Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit'—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that'” (James 4:13-15).

This advice from James is applicable every year, but the sentiment that “you do not know what [this year] will bring” rings particularly true as I reflect on 2025. This was not the year I expected. It was a bittersweet year. It was a year for plucking up what was planted and then tilling the soil to prepare for new things. It was a year of waiting. It was a year that strengthened my faith.

Here is a synthesis of my reflections on the year that is now behind me.

THINGS THAT WORKED FOR ME

• Developing personal guiding principles. I got this from Matt Perman in his book What’s Best Next. I have eight principles: be generous, be humble, be sincere, focus on Christ’s eternal kingdom, move toward others, pursue wisdom, serve, and trust God. In any situation, I can return to these principles for guidance.
• Writing. I have been presented some interesting opportunities to write, including a writing assessment for a News and Commentary Editor position and a book proposal. I also created this blog, and even though the contents are still sparse, it’s a start.
• Adopting a mindset of curiosity. I got this from the book Tiny Experiments, where the author encourages readers to embrace uncertainty instead of fearing it. When faced with unknowns, I now find myself thinking, “I wonder where this might lead.” As my dad says, life is like a roller coaster, and you can either white-knuckle the bar in terror or put up your hands and enjoy the ride. The experience is the same, but curiosity makes it more exciting, even when encountering unexpected twists, turns, and drops.
• Baking. My love language is desserts. I love making them to share as well as enjoying them for myself. It’s amazing how much time you can spend baking when you don’t have a job. (Side note, I have Snackable Bakes to thank for many of the new recipes I tried this year, including my now-routine sugar cookies and vanilla scones.)
• Asking “Working on anything exciting?” Vanessa Van Edwards is a self-proclaimed “recovering awkward person” who gives advice about building confidence in social interactions. She says that instead of asking “What do you do?” or “How are you?” you should ask, “Working on anything exciting?” I have used and adapted this, and it leads to much more engaging conversations. 

THINGS I LEARNED

• The Psalms suggest that variety in praise songs is good. I studied Book 1 and couldn’t help but notice that some psalms are long while others are short; some are addressed to the Lord while others are addressed to the congregation; some express lament while others express joy; some focus on personal experience while others focus on God’s character and deeds; some are repetitive while others are verbose. I think we can infer that there is a place for all of these variations in modern church services. (There are some great Sound Plus Doctrine podcasts that reinforce this idea, too.)
• The presence of great difficulty does not mean you’re on the wrong path. God has a way of uprooting our assumptions and redirecting our steps to accomplish His plans. The path of obedience can be painful, but, as the Shepherd says to Much-Afraid in Hinds’ Feet on High Places, “it is always safe to obey my voice, even if it seems to call you to paths which look impossible or even crazy.”
• Waiting isn’t unproductive. There is always work to be done, there are always people to love, and there is always something to enjoy while you wait. In fact, waiting can be particularly formative. It frees up time to metaphorically pile on the leaves that slowly become the rich leaf-mould that makes the soil fertile for future fruitfulness. (This is a Tolkien analogy that I learned about from this article.)
• Rest is not merely about ceasing activity. I’m persuaded that some of the most robust rest happens when we aim for enjoyment. There are many things, people, and activities to enjoy in this life; part of the practice of rest is receiving those good gifts with gratitude and delighting in them. (My thinking on this was largely influenced by Joe Rigney’s book Strangely Bright).
• To be an interesting person, you need to do interesting things. This is something Vanessa Van Edwards says often. It’s not the most spiritual motivation for putting down my phone or choosing what work or activities to do, but it’s a useful question. Personally, I would much rather tell someone that I’m spending my time writing, working on puzzles, or reading classic novels than doom-scrolling, watching hours of YouTube videos, or spending the entire evening playing a game on my phone.
• God is always up to something good. My job search has forced me into times of waiting and led to some significant disappointments. In the midst of the tossing waves of my heart, the Lord has spoken peace to me. “Do you doubt My goodness?” He asked, and I was chastened much like Peter was by the Sea of Tiberias. “No Lord, of course I don’t doubt Your goodness.” “You can trust Me,” He said. The anxieties of my heart are quelled under the care and power of my Shepherd and Creator. He is able to do far more abundantly than all that I can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). 

BONUS: A THING I LEARNED ABOUT MYSELF

• I think I like job interviews…? I have done far more job interviews this year than I did in all the previous years of my life combined. To my surprise, I enjoy them more than I dread them. I like having conversations with people, and at its core, an interview is a conversation where two people are trying to get more information. The information I gain will help me decide if I would want the job; what the interviewer gains will help them decide if they think I’d be a good fit for the job. All that’s left to do is be sincere and entrust the results to the Lord.

If I had to choose one idea to define 2025 for me, it would be hold loosely. Hold loosely to your plans, expectations, and circumstances. Don’t take the status quo for granted. Don’t hold so tightly that you resist changes that the Lord Himself is causing. Be willing to yield to where He is guiding you, even if it leads to sorrow and suffering. He is moving all the pieces around in ways we can’t even begin to fathom, and He is doing so in perfect wisdom. 

So “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”