Is there a new time of confusion coming in 2021?

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Change can sometimes be confusing, and forced changed even more so.

No wonder so many people have said their experience of the wild and woolly year that has been 2020 has included strong feelings of confusion.

That has led to a lot of anxiety as people have tried to figure out how to navigate unusual life circumstances.

A concern I have shared with Scott Free Clinic’s Board of Directors and Prayer Partners is my concern that we may see a new spike of confusion some time in 2021 as we move out of the pandemic.

That might sound odd. Some might say that since the pandemic was a cause for confusion for many, moving out of the pandemic would relieve people of confusion.

Not initially.

That’s because we have been living in such different times so heavily influenced by the pandemic, civil unrest, and a contentious election year that as we move out of those settings that change will likely stir new feelings of confusion and anxiety.

There’s been a lot — probably too much — predicting about a “new normal,” but I think the reality will be that once we’re out of the pandemic, we will have the opportunity to live life almost entirely like we used to. Some changes made during the pandemic, such as working from home, may continue on into the future, but it’s likely that at least the opportunity for life to be much like it was will be an option for most people.

And I think it’s precisely that opportunity that will be a source of confusion for some.

That’s because we have lived in a global pandemic setting for so long that people have developed:

    • Some new habits.
    • Some new patterns for daily living.
    • Some new preferences for how they live.
    • Some new comforts.
    • Some new weaknesses.
    • Some new strengths.

If the opportunity comes to return to living life as they did prior to the pandemic, it could be a new time of confusion having to decide whether to keep these changes they have made in how they live, return to their old way of living, or blend some of their old ways with some of the changes they have made.

Many church leaders are already anxious about dealing with those decisions, and I think many people in the general public will become anxious and confused about such decisions as well.

In weighing the options for you personal life whether to keep some or all of the changes you’ve made, having gone through a time of forced change can help us step back and better understand:

    • The value of sometimes changing things up to keep things fresh rather than becoming stagnant.
    • That changing things up allows for new and varied experiences (which can be good!).
    • We should be in a continuous state of change due to maturing.

Just knowing that in a matter of months you’ll likely have the opportunity to make decisions about continuing to live life with the changes you’ve made or fall back to “old ways” should help make those decisions less confusing IF you use this time now to pray and consider such things.

I suggest you do that so your opportunities in 2021 will be less confusing and anxiety-generating for you.

Scotty