100 Days with Jesus -- Happy New Year

Day 53
Happy New Year! Each new year, I get into all this deep thought about the meaning of life and the value of my life and what have I accomplished, what will I accomplish, where am I to serve, and on and on. If I think too long and hard about it, I can even depress myself. After all, time passes, I’ll continue to get older…..well, we know how this story ends. I’m glad New Year’s only comes once a year.
But on the other hand, it is a wonderful time to pause and think about the direction in life I will choose for this year. I guess if it wasn’t for an official start to a new year, when would I stop long enough to give thought to these things? Lanny and I spent time over the holidays talking about our futures, our finances and our goals in life. It was wonderful quality time and it helped us to re-focus and re-prioritize. It was time we really needed to re-position, with God in the center and us looking to Him for direction instead of what we are both more prone to do, which is to put ourselves and our interest in the center and then ask the Lord if He’ll come along and help us. I was reading the book of Ecclesiastes and it seems that Solomon, the wisest man to ever live other than Christ, must also have been considering the New Year. As he ponders the meaning of life, at first it seems that he finds no purpose and that everything is futile. But as he continues on, he realizes that it’s only futile if God is not the center of it. He also realizes that finding joy in our work brings meaning to life, not just working to reach the end. Ecclesiastes 5:18 says ‘Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him--for this is his lot.’ And then he concludes in 12:13 with ‘Now, all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man.’
One of my goals this year is to enjoy the day and to appreciate the work that the Lord has blessed me with. I will be thankful for Monday instead of just thanking God for Friday!