Thank God For Another Year! (New Year)

There were a lot of people that were hoping they would be living to face another year, but their time on earth came to an end.

This is a very special time in our life. As we look at another year, some of us may not be here for the next 365 days. Who might these be:

• It could be the healthiest looking person here

• It could be the unhealthiest looking person here

• It could be the oldest or the youngest person here

• It could be the poorest person here

• It could be the richest person here

• It could be the most industrious person here

• It could be the laziest person here

We don’t know who will live to see the end of the year, but most likely with a crowd this size, some of us will not be here to finish this year.

At this very special time, when we are entering a New Year in our life, we need to make sure that we use every day God gives us for His glory. We really can not afford to waste one of them.

Many start the year off with the best of intentions, by making New Years resolutions. But many made those same resolutions last year and they did not keep them. Here are some resolutions that you can actually accomplish without much effort!

• I am going to read less this year

• I want to gain at least 130 pounds

• I am going to stop exercising

• I am going to be unkind to someone every day this year

• I am going to watch more TV this year

• I am going to procrastinate more this year

• I am going to take up a new habit: maybe smoking!

These are the things that will not take much effort to do.

But if you are really serious about making the New Year a great year, it is going to require more than good intentions.

Illus: Jonathan Edwards was a great Christian man. As a young man, he RESOLVED to do five things:

• HE RESOLVED: To live with all my might while I do live

• HE RESOLVED: Never to lose a moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I can

• HE RESOLVED: Never to do anything which I should despise or think unkind of in another

• HE RESOLVED: Never to do anything out of revenge

• HE RESOLVED: Never to do anything which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life

These RESOLUTIONS will take more than GOOD INTENTIONS!

Illus: Someone said, “Resolutions are like babies in church; they MUST BE CARRIED OUT!”

The Word of God tells us what we must do to make this a successful year for the Lord.

Look at Eph. 5:16-21, we read, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

In these verses, the Apostle Paul presents some important lessons that we need to consider as we enter this New Year.

I. MAKE THE MOST OF EACH DAY

Look again at verse 16, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

This verse of scripture is telling us to MAKE THE MOST OF EACH DAY. WHY? Because the times in which we live are very evil.

We mortals measure our life out in years! For example, when someone asks us how old we are, we do not tell them how many days, weeks or months we have lived, we tell them how many years we have lived.

Illus: One of my favorite birthday cards shows an elderly lady blowing out all the birthday candles on her birthday cake.

The writing on the card says this:

• ON THE OUTSIDE: We don’t feel sorry for you blowing out all those candles

• ON THE INSIDE: What about us? We had to stay up all night lighting them!

We go to a lot of trouble to take care of these bodies so we can live for many years on earth. But no matter how much care we give them, it seems to be a losing battle.

When we get to heaven, we are not going to have to worry about these bodies. We will have our glorified bodies and we will enjoy them immensely!