Relentless – Continuing in a determined way without any interruption (Cambridge Dictionary)

When I think about this year, relentless is the first word that comes to mind. Take a moment and reflect on it. Has not the year of 2020 continued in a determined way without any interruption? Has it not continued in delays, in disappointments, and in death? Has it not continued in hatred, in greed, and in injustice? Has it not continued in tears, in isolation, and in frustration? It has continued. Incessant. Firm. Unyielding. How has it been going for you? Regardless of whether you’ve barely been touched or you’ve been deeply hurt and broken by the events of this year, none of us can say we haven’t been challenged in some way. Our lifestyles have been abruptly changed. Our trust in systems have been questioned. Our family dynamics have been strained. Our mental, physical, and spiritual health have been tried. The year of 2020 has been relentless. There has been no escape.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4

So what’s the point? Why did 2020 hit us so hard? While I won’t pretend to definitively answer a question only God could with certainty, I do realize that some of God’s best work in us comes through adversity. Think back on some of 2020’s toughest moments thus far. Take Kobe Bryant’s death for instance. His death, for many of us, was extremely heartbreaking and difficult to accept. As the intimate stories about his life and the impact he had on and off the court took center stage, many of us began to reflect on our own lives. Were we living lives of purpose or were we simply settling for good enough? For some of us, his death lit a God ignited fire within us. No longer content with wasting time, our priorities shifted to doing things in this world that would last and have God given impact. What about this current pandemic? Have you done any soul searching and self evaluation with all this time to yourself in isolation? Has the constant reminder of death made you confront your false sense of immortality and seek a real relationship with Jesus before it’s too late? What about the high levels of unemployment and volatility in the stock market? What did that mean for your bank account and your ideas of stability and prosperity? Did being stuck with your kids 24/7 develop patience in you? If not yet patience (I know y’all are tired!), at least a new level of empathy and appreciation for those who care and teach them everyday? Let’s not forget the racial injustices we’ve witnessed this year. Did seeing someone die unjustly ignite your fight for justice and truth? Did you have to learn what it really meant to love and pray for those who persecute you? (Matthew 5:44) This could go on and on. My point, however, is simple. The relentlessness of 2020 gave us the opportunity to address and heal things within us that otherwise may have gone unchecked. For all the pain that this year has provided, the beauty of gratitude, grace, and growth has still been ever present. Count it all joy.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” – John‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭

God also comes to mind when I think of the word relentless. When we think about who God is and what He has done for us, it’s clear that His love has always continued in a determined way. It has never failed to save, protect, discipline, build, renew, and heal us. It has never failed to forgive, to grant mercy, to be long-suffering, and to stretch us for His glory and our growth. Even when we have ignored or rejected His love for us, that same love has still remained ever present, ever enduring, and ever willing. Can you pinpoint His relentless love for you even in the midst of this relentless storm of life?

Max Lucado, a Christian author, once said “God loves you just the way you are, but refuses to leave you that way.” While that statement is evident in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, as shown in this scripture, it’s no less clear in the year 2020. God is after our hearts and our affections. He wants us to be dependent on Him. He wants us to be humble and obedient in all that He calls us to do. He wants us to have a heart of gratitude. He wants us to be a giver. He wants us to be like Christ, in words and in actions. Let this season of pruning and refining finish its work. Let this year of relentlessness birth in you all that you are meant to be, for Christ, for yourself, and for each other.

“For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.” – Psalms‬ ‭66:10-12

This pain isn’t in vain, twentysomethings ❤️