STEPS TOWARD A HAPPY NEW YEAR
If ever there was a time when people are anxious to ring in a new year, it may be now. We are ready to put 2020 behind us and ring in 2021 with fireworks, confetti, blowing horns, and wishing each other a happy new year. Wonderful as those things are, is there anything we can do to help make 2021 a happy new year? We tend to think of happiness as the natural result of positive circumstances. We tend to be happy when things are going well, and not as much when they’re not. It’s really a matter of luck or fortune that are beyond our control, hence the wish that the new year be happy. While it’s true that many things in life are beyond our control, it is also true that there are many things we do have control over that greatly affect our relative state of happiness. Abraham Lincoln wisely said that “most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” It’s surprising how our view of life can change when we are intentional about the things over which we do have influence.
Newton’s First Law of Motion states that “things at rest tend to stay at rest, and things in motion tend to stay in motion until they are acted on by an outside force.” What is true in the physical world is also true in life. Any number of things can drain life out of a person: worry, fear, uncertainty, loss, depression, hardship, pessimism, and more can lead us into malaise, complacency and despair. However, intentionally filling our lives with positive things can more than offset the negative influences with positive ones, leading to increasing optimism and happiness. Here are a few things to consider:
- Saturate your mind with Truth As Christians “though we walk in the flesh we do not battle against the flesh and the weapons we fight with are not carnal weapons but mighty through God to the demolishing of strongholds” (2 Cor 10:3-4). The enemy’s two primary weapons are lies over Truth and darkness over light. With these pouring into our lives 24/7/365 through culture, social media, endless news and entertainment we must make our meaningful daily time in God’s Word and prayer non-negotiable. Saturating our mind with the Truth of His Word will displace the negativity, pessimism, and ill effects of secular humanism that surround us.
- Guard your heart diligently Philippians 4:8-9 tells us “whatsoever things are true, just, pure lovely, of good report, if there is any virtue and praise to think on these things.” The I.T. saying is “garbage in, garbage out.” The world, the flesh, and the devil work tirelessly to fill our hearts and mind with things that drag us down. The Lord wants us to fill our mind with things that lift us up. Choose carefully the music, television shows and movies, social media, even friendships that occupy our time and thoughts.
- Be intentional Aristotle taught us that nature abhors a vacuum. If we don’t intentionally fill our days, hearts, and mind someone or something else will! The Lord Jesus taught in Matthew 6:33 that we are to “seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness.” Not only is it okay to plan and schedule good things for ourselves and others it is essential. With more people working from and spending more time at home it is imperative that we be even more disciplined in managing our time wisely. Schedule breaks every few hours throughout the day to get outside, go for a walk, enjoy a hobby, exercise, talk to a loved one, call a friend. Have uplifting music playing in the background even when working (not endless streaming of the news).
A great tool that can be helpful in implementing these principles is a calendar, and January is the perfect time to start using one. Begin by making a list of 6 “big” things that you would like to do (that are feasible and within your budget), 12 “medium” things, and 24 “small” things. A big thing might be starting a new hobby, a vacation, joining a gym, or visiting an out-of-town relative or friend. A medium thing might be a day or weekend trip, sightseeing, joining a new ministry at church, or going to a concert or sporting event. A small thing might be a movie or game night, hiking or fishing, a trip to the driving range, a cookout, or lunch with a friend. (All assuming we are able to do these things. If not the list will still work with a little more creativity.)
Next invest in a calendar that you will enjoy looking at daily and put each item from your list on the calendar, in ink. Hang the calendar on the refrigerator where it will be seen daily. These activities will provide a constant source of good things to look forward to, and being intentional in making them happen will keep us moving forward.
For married couples, the calendar works the same way where both the husband and wife make separate lists of things, big, medium, and small, that they would enjoy doing together. Then each take turns making entries on a calendar that they chose together. The wife makes the first entry, then the husband, continuing until each item from both lists is entered. This is a project that is often used in marriage counseling to help couples be intentional in maintaining a healthy relationship with each other. It works!
As Christians the best is always yet to come, and we have every reason to be optimistic! Certainly there will be trials and challenges but even in these He promises to be with us and that they are for our good and for His glory. His Word offers literally thousands of promises to His people of hope and blessing that are Truth and Light in even the darkest of times. Here are a few:
- “The Lord knows the way of the righteous.” Psalm 1:6a
- “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” Psalm 37:23
- “A faithful man shall abound with blessings.” Proverbs 28:20a
- “I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10b
- “Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:39b
By building, and planning, our hopes and lives on the Truth of His Word we have every reason to be optimistic and to expect that 2021 will be a very Happy New Year!