As Thanksgiving and Christmas end, and a new year begins, we all begin to look forward to what’s next. We have all been navigating a “new normal” for a couple of years now, and with each passing year, we pray for newfound peace in the coming year.
God has been with us in 2021, just as He has been from the beginning and will be there until the end. Immanuel, God with us, is a promise that endures.
As Christians, we have constant joy and peace of God’s enduring promise. We know that His presence can always be felt through His Word and Holy Spirit. However, there are many in this world who do not know Him, so with this great responsibility, we are called to share the comfort and peace we have in knowing we have a future with Him, where there is no more death, no more crying, and no more pain (Revelation 21:4).
In this Top-10 list, we have included audience-favorite questions that ranked highest in views and some personal favorites, as well as those that have brought joy and peace in the year 2021.
1. How Do We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight? by Candice Lucey
Our faith is reasonable, but there are aspects of the gospel we accept on faith and are unable to see. What are these invisible things? And what is the walk of faith? Our walk as Christians should be identifiably different from the walk of one who does not believe and has been saved by grace.
There is a practical element, which must not be overlooked, for if we love God there will be an outpouring of that love towards others. Yet walking, or living, by faith, is also about our relationship with Christ.
2. What Does the Bible Say about Worldly Happiness? by Rev. Kyle Norman
Happiness can be a tricky thing. We tend to assume that happiness is earthly, defined by the occurrences and happenstances of life. This simply is not true. The truth is happiness is a spiritual attitude of confidence and contentment.
We only become truly happy when we realize that the transitory world cannot give us the spiritual satisfaction we long for. Our ultimate desire, that soul-deep happiness to which we all long for, is found in the presence of Jesus.
This means that being happy — truly happy — is to accept and live within the everlasting love of Jesus.
3. How Has Jesus Come to Give Abundant Life? by Sophia Bricker
Because Jesus came into the world to die in the place of sinners and then to rise to life again, those who believe in Him can have new life (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new life that Jesus gives is both eternal and full.
Believers have the promise of living forever with God after death (John 3:16; 11:25) and presently enjoys eternal life through an everlasting relationship with the Lord (John 17:3).
Also, because Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to His followers, spiritual fruit in abundance is promised to those who abide in Him
4. How Should We Feel When God’s Timing Doesn’t Seem Perfect? by Ed Jarrett
You might ask what that has to do with God’s timing. But I think that it illustrates a reason why God’s timing does not always seem perfect. Sometimes, or maybe oftentimes, I think what should be done is not really beneficial. It is not so much that God’s timing “is off” as that what he is doing instead is better.
God’s timing is always perfect. He sees the big picture that I cannot. He has a plan that he is working out in his own time. And I can trust that he will work everything out for my good.
5. Can Someone Believe in God but Not Be Saved? by Jessica Brodie
Jesus said whoever believes will be saved--but there’s a difference between hearing and accepting something intellectually as truth and fully believing with heart and soul. When we believe, it impacts us.
We become changed from the inside out. Our actions and deeds evolve and begin to reflect our new truth. Belief and repentance — that is, changing our hearts and therefore our lives — go hand in hand.
6. What Does the Bible Say about Worry? by Greg Grandchamp
We, humans, are inclined to worry. We worry about the big stuff, small stuff, and everything in between. And when we have nothing to worry about, we worry that we might be missing or have forgotten something we ought to be worrying about.
The Word of God gives us that answer. Each time we are told to not worry, to not be anxious, we are indeed taught what to choose instead. Trust God. Trust Christ Jesus.
7. How Is God Not the Author of Fear? by Vivian Bricker
God is not the God of fear. Many people believe God is a God of anger, hate, and fear, but He is not. God is full of mercy, forgiveness, and love. He does not want you to be afraid of Him. God is not an angry, malevolent dictator waiting to cause a frenzy in the world. However, God is also not going to let evil prevail or let anyone get away with sin. God is loving, compassionate, and merciful.
8. Is ‘Because He Lives, I Can Face Tomorrow’ in the Bible? by Robert Hampshire
While we do not find this exact lyric in Scripture, it would be hard to sum the message of the gospel up in a clearer way. Because if you had to boil it down, the single most crucial piece of the gospel is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many people have performed good deeds, and many people have even died doing those deeds.
For believers who truly grasp the impact of the gospel in their lives, the resurrection will be our life-long theme. Because we know that, “Because he lives, [we] can face tomorrow!”
9. 5 Encouraging Verses for When You Experience Grief by Dolores Smyth
Grief can take an unpredictable course in your life, lessening and intensifying depending on the ebb and flow of your circumstances, the time of year, or the reminders you may come across of your lost love.
There have been so many reasons to mourn lately. You may be in mourning for the sick or the deceased, for the consequences of sin, or for the injustices you see around you or in the world at large. While the way that people process grief varies immensely, what never varies is God’s desire to comfort us in our grief and, if we let Him, heal us of our anguish.
10. What Does it Mean That Our Security Is in the Lord? by Philip Wijaya
We all want security — the state of being free from danger or threat – in our lives. It is good to have that peace of mind, to feel secure about our families, works, and relationships. As we believe in the Lord, we become God’s children and that means our heavenly Father takes total care and full responsibility for our lives as we surrender to Him.
Therefore, we can believe that He is able to provide all our needs, protect us from evil and calamity, and preserve our love relationship with Him and the eternal salvation He has promised. Putting our security in the Lord means resting in the power of His love.
For Days Gone By
As we consider these and other questions about the Christian life, may we gain comfort and peace from our Savior so that we may show His love and light to a darkened world as we leave the old behind and embrace the new with our Alpha and Omega, our Prince of Peace, Lord of lords, and King of kings.
For further reading:
Top 10 Questions of Faith in 2019
Christianity.com's Top 10 Questions of Hope in 2020
'Here Am I Lord, Send Me' - Inspiring Bible Story and Meaning of Isaiah 6:8
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Molly Law is the Editor of C.com. She has a Master of Arts in Publishing Studies from the University of Stirling, UK, where she studied and lived for a year in Scotland. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Professional Writing from Gardner-Webb University. Her editorial career includes Senior Editor of a bimonthly magazine for the nonprofit ACA and Editorial Assistant at Luath Press in Edinburgh, UK. She enjoys reading 18th-century British Literature, creative writing, and traveling.