Three biggest lessons of 2024
2024 was filled with challenges, and with challenges came lessons. I’m grateful for these lessons and how they trained my focus on God’s direction. Of everything I’ve learned, three things stood out the most, and these are the ones I want to share in this post.
What God Needs to Do, He Has Already Done
The first thing to understand is that God is all-powerful, all-wise, and infinitely loving. If God is all-wise, He knows what is best for me. If He is all-powerful, He has the ability to do what is best for me. And if He is all-loving, His actions toward me do not depend on my actions or inactions. God knows what is best for us and is already doing His part. An all-knowing, all-loving God doesn’t require us to roll on the floor or cry out desperately before He does what is right for us. What he needs to do, He has already done.
The key here is to pray for perspective—asking God to align our vision with His will. Pray that He strengthens us to accept what He wants for us. The result of this alignment is peace, as our values and desires come into harmony with God’s plan
Self-Pity
This is a big one. Self-pity is subtle and often insidious. We try to convince God that He must move on our behalf because our situation is so dire.
Self pity is trick we try to manipulate God with. As Kids when we wanted something from our parents, we cry and try to manipulate them. This mindset never really changed coming into adulthood because we think that if we are able to show God just how much we are suffering, He’ll be inclined to move for us.
This mindset is dangerous because we get offended when God doesn’t immediately change our circumstances. We begin to question: What kind of a God would be so cruel as to leave me in this difficulty? Over time, this erodes our confidence in God’s love and faithfulness. Herein lies the insidiousness of the self-pity manipulation tactic. We slowly progress from anger towards God to apathy.
But God is not moved by our self-pity. He is moved by His constant, unwavering love for us. Because God is always loving, He is always working for our good—regardless of what we do. This truth is what we need to hold onto in moments of despair.
It is important to note that being sad about life’s circumstances is completely normal. What I’m talking about here is using self-pity as a tool for manipulation
Gratitude
This is more of a reminder than a new lesson. It is one of those things that are cliché, but for me, an attitude of gratitude is one of the most potent tools for spiritual growth. When I take time to reflect on all the ways God has worked in my life, I’m reminded that He is constantly looking out for me. Even the challenges I’m facing now are somehow part of His greater plan because they are making me into a vessel that He can use, and in time, they will be resolved.
When God’s work in our lives is complete, we will no longer despise the challenges that once overwhelmed us. Instead, we’ll recognize them as essential pieces of the journey He used to shape us.
Conclusion
Looking back, 2024 has been a year of lessons and growth. The biggest takeaways for me are these: trust that God has already done what needs to be done, resist the trap of self-pity, and always cultivate gratitude. These lessons have reminded me to focus on God’s will and trust in His direction, even when life feels uncertain or challenging.
I highly recommend checking out the video in additional resources section as it provides more informatioin.
Happy New year, 2025
Nathan Editor, TheRationalMind
Additional Resources
https://www.youtube.com/live/mdPbIiJ8g2w?si=JKGyRjxDCN_aDKVn