A new year just started. An old year has passed away, and we are at that time of the year when people take stock and make plans. Given that we reckon our days in years, every new year presents us with the opportunity to gauge our progress.
Why should we go through this ritual of reckoning years that will be new one day, old another day, and that would pass away and remind us of the things that remain undone and unachieved in our lives? Why?
Why are we not like some old tribes (e.g. native American Indians) who had no word for time, and who did not use the calendar. For them, life simply continues. They just sleep and wake up. If anything, maybe they observe the seasons for the purpose of farming and hunting. But they do not add up the days for any reason; because, let us face it – when you number the days, it can make you rather uncomfortable. It shows that you are growing older and drawing nearer to your grave!It gives dimension to how much time you have lost without achieving that goal of your life. It shows how well you have fared compared to others who had the same time as you did; or who started at the same time as you, and so on.
Numbering our days can be an embarrassment. Yet the Psalmist suggests that it is valuable to number our days. He says there is a way we can number our days that leads to wisdom in our lives. And so, as we consider the old year and enter into the new year, we are encouraged to apply our hearts unto this wisdom.
What should you have done with the outgone year? Ecclesiastes 12:13 gives us a clue:
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Did you fear God in the outgone year?
Did you keep His commandments?
Matthew 6:33 also says,
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
Did you seek the kingdom of God last year?Did you do so as a matter of priority? In other words, how did you spend the year? Was it profitable to God? Did that year of your life add value to society? Did it add value to your family? Or were you a liability?
It is often said that the unexamined life is not worth living. In fact, the word of God encourages us to examine ourselves:
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Let us examine ourselves today, and correct ourselves before we go too deep into the new year. This year promises new opportunities for us, and we must position ourselves to receive all that God has for us.
To be continued,
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