NEW YEAR! AT WHAT PRICE?

A brand new year is upon us and as usual we are all excited and full of high hopes and expectations that the year will hold great things in store for us. Most of us have great dreams, many have made new perennial resolutions aimed at keeping them on the straight and narrow path all year long, in hopes that they will fare better in the next 366 days.

Also, as is the norm in Christendom, many churches have succinct declarations for the year which represent the direction or expected destination of members for the year in terms of better experiences than the previous year. These form the focus of prayers, confessions, programmers etc for the year, all aimed at helping congregants experience a better deal in the new year. As laudable as these are, the stark reality is that many people still fall short of their expectations and confessions year in year out, despite their high hopes, prayers and proclamations. The reason is that it takes more than mere wishes and high expectations to have a different experience at whatever level.

A new year does not offer anything NEW or exhilarating by default!

Confessions alone are not enough.

Prayer alone is not sufficient.

Even positive thoughts alone are inadequate.

There is nothing 'magical' about the advent of a new calendar year that will guarantee that that year will be outstanding just automatically! 

There is a price tag to every advancement we desire.

Every change of experience comes at a price.

I love the following quote:

"You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of..” — Jim Rohn

The price for a change of experience, and a really happy new year is PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY! Until we are willing to take responsibility by engaging positively in advancing our lives, a NEW year in reality will be a mirage.

Responsibility, according to Winston Churchill ''is the price of greatness."

In these early days of the new year, let us remind ourselves that we have absolutely no one to blame for how we have fared in life till date but ourselves, and going forward it will take a dogged approach to our lives to see changes.

A new approach of seriousness, but which must be preceded by a new way of thinking is a good starting point. I urge you to think differently about your life and how you intend to run it this year. Avoid thinking backwards, or thinking self-defeating thoughts of impossibility and defeat. Then move on from there and take your life more seriously by adopting a change of approach to issues.

-Expand your horizon by reading and feeding on materials that will nourish your soul and impact upon your decision making process. Remember, your life cannot be any better than the quality of decisions you make daily.

- Do things differently this year. Do an honest evaluation of your actions and inactions of last year and see where you fell short. See what brought you profit and gain as well as what caused you pain and regret. Then determine to desist from repeating the errors of previous years! 

- Cultivate new habits that will take you to where you want to be this year as opposed to the old habits that kept you stagnated last year.

When we choose to be responsible and do our own part, then all the prayers, fastings, declarations, confessions, good wishes etc. will have 'substance' to work with, because 'faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for..' Heb. 11:1.

Without works, faith, no matter how violent or loud will not produce, because 'faith without works is dead' James 2:20.

I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. 

LET'S HAVE YOUR THOUGHTS ON OTHER WAYS BY WHICH WE CAN ENSURE A BETTER YEAR 2016. 

Here's to a truly amazing year in all ramifications.

May your best of 2015 be your least in 2016! 

Shalom.