This is not your year!

Hi there, happy new year and welcome to the first dose of your truth tea served by yours truly Mainza - The Urban Evangelist and its titled “This is Not Your Year”… But That’s a Good Thing!

Let’s be honest: How many times have we declared, “This is my year!”? We’ve all done it—the vision boards, the affirmations, the ‘New Year, New Me’ pep talks. It’s become a tradition. But here’s the truth: This is not your year. Wait, what? Don’t panic. Stay with me on this.

The reality is, this year, just like every other year, belongs to God. He is the one who directs our steps. While we’re busy making plans, God is in the background, sometimes chuckling at our attempts to control the outcome. And the thing is, sometimes He’s going to say “no” to those perfectly curated plans of ours. But here’s the twist—God’s “no” is just as important as His “yes.” It’s not about a doomsday prophecy; it’s about trusting God’s sovereign will over our lives.

Think about it: You may be all set for what you believe is the best plan ever, only for God to close the door gently—or sometimes not so gently. It might feel like a setback or a rejection, but in reality, it’s a redirection. Maybe God is protecting you from something unseen, or perhaps He’s creating space for something far greater than you could have imagined.

Let’s look at Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” This year is not the time for us to stubbornly push our own agenda. Instead, it’s an opportunity to align ourselves with what God is already doing. His purpose will always be better than anything we could come up with on our own. When God says “no,” it’s often His way of saying, “Hold on, I’ve got something much better in store.”

It’s important to understand that when I say this isn’t your year, I’m not dismissing the value of faith or the power of declaring God’s Word into our lives. Living by faith and allowing God’s Word to frame our experiences is essential. But sometimes, in our desire to declare our own plans, we overlook God’s sovereignty. His “no” might feel frustrating at first, but it’s written with love and wisdom.

As we step into this year, let’s make room for God’s plans to unfold. When He says “no,” don’t see it as a failure—see it as His loving hand redirecting you toward something even more beautiful than you had envisioned. Be ready for His “yes,” but also be excited for His “no,” because both are filled with His perfect wisdom and love. Trust me, when God takes the wheel, the journey may not always go as planned, but it will always be worth it.

Bible Verse to Ponder:

“Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” — 1 John 4:4

This year, trust in the One who is greater, because whether it’s a “yes” or a “no,” His plan is always better than ours.