It’s fun to set goals for ourselves in a new year — whether they’re to build new habits, spend more time with loved ones or help improve the world around us. But even when we have good intentions to follow through, sometimes we can fall short of keeping our resolutions.

What if this year, your resolutions could help create eternal transformation? What if your dreams reflected God’s mission to redeem and restore the world, shaping not only your life but the lives of others?

The Holy Spirit empowers us to live with purpose; He is alive and active in the global Church. God is at work, redeeming people, restoring creation and sanctifying us. The best part is that God invites us to be part of His story — not through our own strength but through His.

A Dream Years in the Making

At Wycliffe, we set goals years ago that we are still committed to today. In 1999, we embraced a big goal: to see a Bible translation program start in every language still needing one by the end of 2025.

Over the years, we have remained committed to saying “yes” and partnering with like-minded organizations and churches to help accomplish this goal, known as Vision 2025. But this goal isn’t the finish line — it’s part of an ongoing journey. We trust God to continue making His name known among the nations through His people and His Word.

We don’t know if we will reach this goal at the end of 2025, but we are certain of this: God’s mission to draw people to Himself through His Word will continue — extending far beyond any specific date. And we will keep striving for the day when every person can encounter Jesus through Scripture in a language they understand.

Vision 2025 isn’t just a bold goal; it’s also an invitation to participate in God’s overarching story of redemption. This story, revealed through His Word, began at creation and continues to unfold as He draws people to Himself.

Bible translation is part of God’s mission to restore communion with His creation. The Scriptures are more than words on a page; they are the unfolding narrative of God’s relentless pursuit of humanity and redemption through the perfect life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Restoration and the Story of Translation

In the fall of 2024, David Bowden — a Wycliffe USA board member and the founder of Spoken Gospel — performed a spoken word piece. In it he highlights the overarching narrative of Scripture — God’s relentless pursuit of communion with His creation. “From the beginning of time, God has been pursuing communion with us through communication,” David declared.

Even though humanity distorted His message through sin, God continued to reach for us through words. David noted: “The greatest word God would speak could not be transliterated into any earthly tongue. Instead, it needed to be incarnated because God’s final word was His Son.” The Word was Jesus (John 1:1) and brought God’s heavenly message of restoration into human context. David said: “Jesus came so all languages could read Him as the source text.”

God's Story Through Scripture

From the beginning, God’s story unfolded through Scripture. He translated His plans through Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), His presence through Moses (Exodus 3:12) and His promises through David (2 Samuel 7). As David communicated, “God transcribed His words onto a law,” and God then carried His message from the Garden of Eden to the Promised Land. Each piece of the story points toward Jesus — the fulfillment of His covenant and the answer to humanity’s brokenness.

The New Testament reveals the culmination of this narrative in Jesus Christ. “Because of His desire to be with us, God translated His heavenly self into His earthly creation,” David expressed. Through His life, death and resurrection, Jesus became the way through which God would invite us back into a right relationship with Himself (John 14:6).

The Mission of Bible Translation

The story doesn’t end with Jesus’ earthly ministry though. Scripture reveals God’s plan to bring His Word to every people and nation so they can one day worship Him in heaven (Revelation 7:9). David presented this analogy: For those who are still without Scripture in their language, it’s as if they hold a blank scroll. Bible translation bridges this gap, allowing every person to encounter Jesus in their own language and to see, hear or read His Word for themselves. David said:

The work of Bible translation allows the global Church to share the hope of the gospel with people from every corner of the earth.

Carrying Forward God’s Story

God’s desire to communicate His love to all people is woven throughout the Bible. David emphasized: “And now it’s our turn to carry on Scripture’s words of revelation by finishing the story God has been telling: the story of Bible translation.”

The Bible is more than a book — it is the greatest story ever told. Translating Scripture ensures that this message reaches every language and culture, inviting all people to build their lives on the solid foundation of Christ, the Word made flesh.

Living With Kingdom Purpose in the New Year

God is weaving His grand story of redemption — a story that began at creation and will culminate with all people worshipping Him before His throne — and is using Bible translation to touch people’s hearts and change their lives forever.

We are invited to live each day with eternity in mind; this shapes our actions toward our promised future. As we look toward Vision 2025, we are reminded that the work of Bible translation is not just about completing a goal — it’s about participating in God’s mission to draw people to Himself through His Word in their language. Imagine a day when every person can understand Scripture in their own language and encounter the transformative message of God’s love.

This year, think about how your resolutions could have an eternal impact for God’s Kingdom. Whether it’s through prayer, financial support or raising awareness in your church and community, you can help bring God’s Word to those still waiting for it.

The greatest story ever told is unveiled to the world through the work of Bible translation. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to play our part in this incredible narrative. Let’s live with eternity in mind and help make God’s name known among the nations.

What part will you play in sharing God’s Word with the world?

Learn how you can participate in this life-changing mission through partnering with us.

Together we can help ensure that more people experience the transformative power of God’s Word in their own language.

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