The opening of a New Year is a time for looking back and looking forward. We look back to remind ourselves of God’s blessings, and we look forward to a new year, renewing our commitment to our values and resolving to live in light of God’s truth.

This past year has seen a lot of good. In 2019, 21 states passed pro-life laws finishing a strong decade in the fight for life. And the Trump administration’s new Title X rule has diverted federal funds away from abortion providers, funneling them to life affirming pregnancy centers, instead. The most recent CDC report on abortion rates brought with it both good news and bad news, with overall abortion rates falling, but a troubling increase in the use of the abortion pill.

Additionally, this year Minnesota saw an important victory for religious freedom when a federal appeals court protected Carl and Angel Larsen’s First Amendment rights.

But at the start of a new year and a new decade, there is still much important work to be done. 2019 also saw an increase in assisted suicide, as well as continued attacks on life and those who speak up to defend it. Radical ideology has striven to replace common sense policies in sports, and religious foster care and adoption agencies have had a year of ups and downs as they fight for the freedom to affirm God’s design for marriage and family.

The past year also brought into focus the tragic reality that children are increasingly exposed to sexual violence and radical ideology, and schools that take a stand for student safety and privacy, including here in Minnesota, face backlash and lawsuits.

Also in 2019, Minneapolis led the push for Minnesota cities to intrude on counselor-client relationships and dictate what professionals can and cannot say and what kind of treatment city residents can receive, and Duluth has followed suit.  

So how does 2019 shape how we approach 2020? First, we remember that no matter what happens, God is on the throne. Secondly, as we enter 2020, we renew our commitment to speak up for the goodness of God’s design for life, family, and sexuality because we believe in the preciousness of the image of God reflected in every person and in a Savior who is making all things new. It is with that hope that we enter a new decade. It is with this eternal hope, revealed to us in Scripture, that we enter a momentous election year. Join with us as we pray for and work toward a state where God is honored, where life is valued, and where God's designed for marriage and family is lived out in 2020!

Share the whole piece by MFC's Patience Griswold on The Family Beacon.

A challenge from John Helmberger, CEO of Minnesota Family Council

Even while rejoicing in God’s goodness shown to us in so many ways in the year now behind us, many contemplate the challenges in 2020, some of which Patience touched on in her post above, with anxiety or even dread. But not us! The challenges are real, but we view them as opportunities to “shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life”, something the world around us desperately needs (Philippians 2:15-16).

But here’s the thing about shining as lights in a world that urgently needs that light: we shine as long, and only as long, as we hold fast to God’s Word, “the word of life.” If we’re holding fast, we’re shining; if we’re not holding fast, we’re not shining. It’s that simple.

So what’s involved in “holding fast to the word”? In my devotions on New Year's Day, I saw an answer to that question in Psalm 1. You know how it starts – “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” (v. 1).

The answer is in the next verse: “but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” In other words, holding fast to God’s Word involves delighting in His Word and letting it fill and shape our thoughts and ultimately our choices.

When we delight in something, we dwell on it. We look for opportunities to work it into our life, like going a little out of our way to stop at our favorite coffee shop. In fact, we may even order our lives around it, so it has a regular place that we guard so other things, even good things, don’t interfere with this thing we delight in.

You see where I’m going with this. I know it’s challenging to do this with God’s Word, with all the responsibilities and priorities we juggle. It seems to me the ones who have the hardest time of this, and who I admire most when they manage to actually do it even on a limited basis, are moms of young children.  

That’s one reason I find this Bible reading plan so helpful. It’s a guide to read through the Bible in a year with built-in catch-up periods each month. And even if you can’t manage to make it through the whole Bible in a year, no problem. Make it a two-year reading plan, or a three-year plan - however long you need.

The key is to just start. And if you do, if your experience is like mine, the Word will draw you in. You’ll find yourself treasuring the few minutes you spend prayerfully reading it so much that those minutes will stretch over time, and you’ll grow to so look forward to them that you start adjusting your schedule to make it a priority.