Hope for the New Year

S

(Romans 8:37) No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

O

Paul listed two categories of "these things." First (8:31), there were positive experiences, essentially the completion of God's will and glory being established in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit (verses 1-30). Second, and the more the immediate context, were dreadfully negative experiences (8:31-37). This second "these things" list a hasty and incomplete. Its force is rendered impotent to harm because of Christ's (not our) constant love for us: "through Him who loved us."

Afflictions can darken our outlook and shrivel our hope, but affliction's ability to conquer us lasts only as long as we allow them to distance us from Christ's love. The power to be "more than conquerors" over calamity lies in us converting these "things" into allies, afflictions that are thwarted when they become goads that move us into deeper appreciation of Christ's love.

A (Personal)

Here, at the launch of a new year, when we're also launching a new decade, century, and millennium, hope is easy to lose sight of. Afflictions are powerful and abundant. They are ambitious in their efforts to distance my thoughts from reveling in Christ's love. The same is true of the positive "these things" Paul referred to. So what does the new year (or new decade) hold for me? One thing I'm sure of is that it'll provide me with plenty of opportunities to conquer all things through Christ who loved me.

A (Psychological)

Mary Ainsworth, with Bowlby, studied mother-infant interactions--specifically attachment interactions--over the first year of life. This break-through study became known as "Infant Strange Situation," and with the later contributions of Mary Main and Judith Solomon, they successfully identified four distinct attachment patterns: (1) secure, (2) avoidant, (3) resistant or ambivalent, and (4) disorganized. This study consisted of observation parent-child interactions prior to the parent leaving temporarily (twice) and having a stranger enter the room.

The healthy pattern is called the secure attachment. It profoundly affects the child's outlook on life and difficulties, and it occurs when parents are emotionally available, perceptive, and responsive to their infants' needs and mental states. Daniel Siegel (Developing Mind, pp. 73-76) describes these children (during the actual study) as (1) being able to explore the room and toys with interest in preseparation episodes; (2) showing signs of missing parent during separation, often crying by the second separation; (3) obviously preferring parent over the stranger; (4) greeting parent actively, usually initiating physical contact ... then settling and returning to play.

Despite this being a scientific trial, in contrast to our relationship with Christ, this research suggests some correlations for us: (1) God provides healthy, interactive attention to our lives; (2) "children" who are confident in Christ's love and attention are free to explore life confidently (securely) and to recover from inevitable "strange" and unpleasant situations that occur in life.

P

Paraphrasing (praying) what Paul wrote to another group of Christians (2 Corinthians 4:16-18): Lord, I thank You that I don't have to lose heart. Though my outer nature is wasting away, my inner nature is being renewed day by day. I believe You that this slight momentary affliction is preparing me for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison as I look to You. Thankfully, these things of the world that I see around me--the afflictions and even the positive things--are all transient. Your love, however, is eternal and stable. Thank You for convincing me that You are, indeed, the God of Endurance and Encouragement (Romans 15:5). So, let's explore. Let's see what this new year has to offer. I trust You.