New Year Resolution – Wealth Forum Online

In December every year, a lot of activities take place including the characteristic merry making euphoria. Also, most people take stock of the whole year and try to improve on areas which need improvement though some individuals and institutions do their stock taking in other months of every year. Whichever period we do our stock taking really does not matter; it is the content that matters. Stock taking exercise has come to be known as New Year Resolutions and for churches, we prefer using the word ‘theme of the year’ to mean the broad objective of the church for the year.

The question I would like to ask in this article is this- what is your New Year Resolution for 2014? Almost all churches have their themes or New Year Resolutions for 2014 and these themes directly or indirectly affect the members of the church.

As individuals, the contents of our New Year Resolutions are very important. Irrespective of the style of writing our New Year Resolutions, we should aim at implementing these resolutions for us to become better in 2014 than we were in 2013. Our Resolutions should aim at developing our human spirits and our minds in order to influence the environment around us. We must see ourselves growing more in the word of God, in the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and in our professions. If we have so much of the word of God in us and we are lacking in skills for our professional careers, then somethings may be wrong and need immediate correction. I have come across several so called Christians who claim that they know the word of God but have nothing to show for it. We should be living testimonies of the Gospel. The child of God has to be an ‘all-round person’ because as the good book says, we are the light of the world.

The word of God is always important to give us an urge in this turbulent world. We must also aim at closely walking with the Holy Spirit because He reveals more of Jesus and His word to us for us to know what to do at any particular time. Happy and Prosperous New Year to everyone.

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Generally, every individual in this world desires to increase. The desire to increase is innate and starts to operate from our infancy as children. As children, we desired to walk just like any other normal person; we desired to grow bigger just like any other normal person. As the years passed by, our parents took us to school and with time, we desired to chart a particular career. The choice to choose a particular career is a demonstration of the desire to increase.

Families desire to increase. Increase may come in the form of numbers, that is, giving birth to children; taking up new jobs in order to earn more income for the upkeep of the family etc. Nations and the world at large desire to increase. Nations would want to work towards increasing Gross Domestic Product (GDP); improving the health care system of citizens etc. The world at large is working towards reducing maternal mortality and reducing the level of global poverty by increasing the standard of nations as stated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

All the above forms of increase is necessary and crucial for sustainable development. However, there is another type or level of increase which I want to talk about in this article. This is mentioned in John 3:30 which states, “He must increase, but I must decrease”. This is a profound statement by John the Baptist. John was baptising and Jesus was also baptising. Jesus was baptising more people than John because more men were going to Him. John was asked why Jesus was baptising more people and he answered by saying that – He must increase, but I must decrease.

As children of God, we must desire to increase and work at it. The ability to increase is deposited in our spirit and it is our responsibility to portray this in our walk of faith. In December 2012, what were the New Year resolutions we made? Were we able to achieve them? We are in December 2013 and it is likely that we will come out with new resolutions for 2014. Let us ensure that we work towards achieving the New Year resolutions for 2014. We must increase in the roles we play in our jobs; increase in the way we take care our families; increase in good relations with people. We must increase in the roles we play in church growth by witnessing to the unsaved and investing part of income in the ministry of the gospel. Above all, the indwelling of God’s word in us must increase from now and in 2014. 2014 must be a year of increase in any area of our lives because that is the purpose of God for our lives. We must be a blessing to the world more in 2014 and beyond than in 2013.

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