It’s been a tough year. Most of us won’t be sad to see 2021 make an exit. It’s been a year of disappointment for many, heartache and heartbreak for most, and uncertainty for all of us. We gambled on the odds of winning against Covid-19 and Delta and new variants. We got vaccines or we didn’t, depending on our beliefs. We read reports and hoped we were getting correct information. It was difficult to know what to believe.

Some of us gamble on eternity in a similar way. We aren’t sure what to believe. The life of a Christian doesn’t seem any easier than the life of someone with no faith at all. We can’t see the benefit of putting our hope in something we can’t taste, see, or feel. It seems better to be blind, safer than taking a stand and being thought foolish. After all, we’ve made it this far all by ourselves, so what good can a belief in God do for us?

The question is an old gamble. Blaise Pascal said, “Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.”

Whether you buy into Pascal’s reasoning or not, it’s safe to say that all of us put our wagers on the table. We put our health and our relationships at risk simply because we don’t want to kick a bad habit. We struggle with temptation assuming we can overcome anything on our own. Whether we put quarters in a slot machine or not, we all take a gamble on our lives in one way or another.

As you close out the year, give yourself an open door to look out and see what else is possible? If you’re going to place a bet on the year ahead, why not wager that God sees you, knows you, and will do all He can to bring you greater joy and peace? Why not enter the new year already triumphant because you know without a doubt that you and God are in this together, and nothing else can give a greater victory?

It’s time to bet on a sure thing! Start the new year as a winner!