DECEMBER 31ST of each year is always dramatic. Some people who have not been going to church all through the year would be in church on this date. Most churches are often filled to capacity in the few minutes leading to a new year. Prayers are intensified and done with focus on the New Year.
Once it’s 12am, a thunderous “Happy New Year” rents the air in a reverberating way. Prayers are hurriedly concluded and shaking of hands, hugging and phone calls to one’s beloved take place almost immediately. I’ve been accustomed to this for more than 40 years since I’ve been on this earth!
Drums are rolled out and dancing commences. It’s a new year, and people raise their voices to sing as loud as they possibly can! In such a time as this, you hardly see soberness anywhere except in bereaved families.
As good as it is to thank God and rejoice in the new year, don’t you think it should also be a time for sober reflection?
If it’s true that everyone who starts the new year is happy and fulfilled all through it, then we would never have any record of suicide and other ugly incidents.
This is the reason I want to show you how to make the most of this new year, so you will be happy and fulfilled all through it.
- Take stock and review the past years: It’s time to take stock and review the past year. The beginning (in my view) is to review your spiritual state in the preceding year. Faith, we understand is never static but rather swings like a pendulum, either going up or down. Were you closer to the Lord or far away from Him? If Christ were to come last year, would you have joined in the rapture or would you have been left behind?
- You need to examine your distractions last year.
In life, there are two major distractions: failure and success. Which failure did you take as final in the past year and what is the consequence of this? What disappointment are you still battling with which has refused to go with the past year? If you’ve not overcome this, wouldn’t you need divine assistance this year?Are you still mourning over that relationship that did not work? Are you sure the tears on your face won’t blur your vision in the new year unless you allow God to wipe it off? Don’t forget that weeping endures for a night but joy comes in the morning (Ps 30:5.)
The second distraction is success. People wonder how this can be. Let me show you how.
That success you recorded in your examination, was God glorified in it or you cheated, settled lecturers or did something funny? What of that success you claimed to have in your business; did it bring glory to God? You testified quite alright, but was that promotion actually from God or stage-managed through crooked means?Success can distract because it could become a snare. Aren’t you boasting already that the tremendous increase in your congregation was a result of much hard work and prayers as if there were not people that put in more and achieved less?
Sister, now that your husband is giving you attention as a result of your prayers, are you not relaxing in prayer? Pastor, now that more people have come to recognize God’s grace upon your life, are you not spending less time in His presence because of many invitations that have started pouring in?
Uncle, how are you spending that extra income? When your monthly income was NGN50,000, was it not easy to remove NGN5,000 as tithe? Now that you are making ten times that figure, how easy is it to pay NGN50,000 as tithe?
- Be forward lookingThe driver that looks at the rear mirror most of the time is headed for a crash unless he’s always reversing! You prayed to God to enable you see the end of last year, thank God, you did. You did not go with the “ember” months. Now you are in the New Year, congratulations! But have you asked God why He spared your life up till now?
Hezekiah asked for an extention of his years and God in His grace added about 5, 475 days. He made the request to God and he was granted just as you also have been granted. What did he do with it? Did he spend those days or invested it?
Identify Your Purpose
Most people requested for long life not even caring to ask themselves why they need to live for 90 years. If more people understand purpose, it’ll be clear that it is not how long a man lives that makes the world to keep on remembering him. Methuselah lived for nearly 1 God-day (969 years) and all he achieved was the reputation of being the oldest man that ever lived. Jesus lived for less than 4% of that (33 years) and it is obvious that He’ll forever remain with us!
What is your life’s purpose? How close were you to realizing this last year? What are you going to do this year to move nearer? Are they just mentally stored or documented? What are you using to measure your performance this year? Is the yardstick reasonable or is it of doubtful accuracy?
Set Your Targets Within Time Frame
Have you broken your targets into what will be achieved quarterly, monthly and weekly? Are there daily targets? Are you sure you don’t need God considering how you are already faltering on your resolutions?
Identify Resources Needed To Achieve Your Goal
Have you identified the men that will help you achieve your purpose and how are you relating with them? Have you realized you need some obstacles to make your story sweet? Jesus needed a Judas, He knew him but did not kill the betrayer so that His purpose may be fulfilled. Are you following the same pattern or all you want to do is to kill perceived opponents?
Would you not need more education to get to the level you are trusting God for? Where can you get that? If you need a machine, who manufactures it? How do you intend to have this and what advantages would it bring to your business?
Put On Your Thinking Cap
Are your thoughts this year going to be more Godlike or you are going to be more influenced by philosophies of men? What are you going to do about those weaknesses that pull you back? Are you going to continue in that unprofitable relationship or you’ll let go and thereby let God have His way in your life?
It is up to you. He that has no objective will only get something called nothing. If your destination is no where, then any road will lead you there. If you join the race of life too late, you will have to run faster than the men ahead if you are not to remain behind forever.
- Measure your performance against target regularlyIn a sense, most men have targets. It may be less than their potentials or even ambitious. Good budget is useless if actual financial results are not compared with it. Plans are useless if not reviewed in the light of happenings. If this year is to remain a happy one for you, there is the need to frequently compare your results with expected results. This will enable you to adjust where this is required. If you realise that you’ve got potentials unchallenged by your current target, this can be raised further.
- Your overriding goal must be to get closer to GodWhether we like it or not, each year brings us closer to the end of our sojourn here on earth. For instance, if Christ is meant to come in 2015, it means we are nearer rapture now than we were a year ago. Each day brings us nearer to the grave and the men that make the best of living are those that remind themselves that each passing day is a privilege to move closer to God, nearer home.
The coming of the Lord is at hand, work while it is day. Win souls this year, pray for people. Help men of God. Wipe tears from the hungry and impoverished. Make sure you are not just seeking to be blessed, rather, resolve to be a blessing it is then the year can really be a happy and fulfilling one for you. Happy new year!