2026 is almost upon us. We wish one another a Happy New Year and begin the next cycle of life. Somehow, the future seems more uncertain than ever as we face a technological boom that only promises more massive changes. We are living in a disruptive world. It is hard to count on anything. Uncertainty creates stress and stress can lead to anxiety, fear and depression….anything but happy! How can we cope with this?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful influence in early stages of a revolution much like the introduction of electricity, the automobile, radio and tv, and the computer. This will affect us all profoundly. That is the future as we sit on the edge of 2026. Maybe it’s like bungee jumping. Like it or not, we are in this world and we are going into the plunge.
Brace yourself. Volatility is likely to increase. Circumstances are always changing but even more in a big artificial world. Mental health is faith in the unchangeable Person of Christ. He said that we would face storms in this life. We will need permanence to keep us stable in the new year. We can only count on God to provide that. Who is the Rock who never changes? Who is the same yesterday, today and forever? Who is omniscient knowing every single detail of our problems? Who has the power to save our lives even if we die? Any answer other than Jesus is a false god that cannot stand the test of time. Any other answer is sand according to Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Storms are coming to all of us. We must make proper choices to obey the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to avoid crashes. Another critical source of support must be church and caring friends. We need friends to get us through life. Face to face friends, real people, genuine relationships. An enormous threat in this new technological world is ARTIFICIAL RELATIONSHIPS that are virtual, impersonal and potentially harmful.
A top priority for us all in 2026 is to belong to a Small Group that meets weekly for REAL RELATIONSHIPS.
If you are not in a Small Group, start your new year by seeking to join one. The true church in the Book of Acts is all about personal relationships in the home where we can love one another through the trials and issues of life. We will need that more than ever in 2026.
