Whilst these plans are beneficial to maintaining our physical and mental health, is there something important we should also spend some focus time on that we are simply leaving out?
Most of the New Year resolutions that I've heard about are tasks that ideally should slot into one's day to day life. And perhaps this is where the problem lies: People nowadays are so busy and immersed in their workaday life that these tasks require a special reason to be worked on and achieved.
Moreover, it is not yet the end of the first month of the year and many people have decided to give up already. This has to raise the question: Was enough accomplished in this short span of time given that so much effort was needed? And if something was accomplished, will it be a long-lasting achievement?
New Year's resolutions can form an important for a happier and healthier life in today's society; however it might be a worth considering to also dedicate more time to something that lasts a little longer.
Jesus said "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6 verse 20).
God rewards us for the smallest acts of righteousness and in the chaos of life we often forget to take time out for things which contribute to the value of our next life: our eternal life.
As was mentioned earlier, most of what is accomplished through these New Year resolutions should fit on our everyday to-do list. So what does this suggest about our commitment to a strong relationship with the Lord?
In my view it refers to keeping in mind that at the end of the day, what we accomplish through New Year resolutions will eventually pass away as is brought up in Ecclesiastes that "Everything is meaningless" – "a chasing after the wind..."
So what should we be doing as opposed to going about our usual life? At the end of that book we are told to "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecclesiastes 12 verse 13)
In essence what I'm trying to say is that while we have an obligation on Earth to keep our households and lives in one piece, we should make a commitment to spend that extra time we have in dedication to our eternal life and fulfilling God's best practise for us...
As in the title of this article, "A Meaningful New Year Resolution", it seems to me that our ultimate reward will last for a lot longer there than in this life!
Tim Robertson is from Sydney and is currently studying civil engineering at UNSW.
Tim Robertson's previous articles may be found at
http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/tim-robertson.html