Make It A Happy New Year

Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the LORD! Psalm 144:15 NKJV

Being still in the month of January, let me start out saying—"Happy New Year!" But what will make it happy? Maybe wishful thoughts that all of the past year’s troubles will somehow mysteriously disappear with prospects of all things becoming new. It may be the birth of a child, being in good health, having a great family, or being gainfully employed.

For some, the New Year has not started with what we typically ascribe to happiness. Someone is wondering how their family is going to make it through the first month of the New Year. Some may have spent the first few weeks in the hospital visiting a severely-ill family member, or at home tending to the care of a family member. Others have or may experience the loss of a spouse, having to endure the emotional pain and grieve all year long.

If your New Year has started with a bang, I'm sure your friends celebrate with you. If your New Year started with a boom, hopefully someone has cried alongside with you. Regardless of how it started, God is concerned and cares for you whether you have many friends or no friends at all. God will be there with you all year through.

The Bible is not short in addressing the issue of happiness. Happiness is understood as a quality of life—a state of well-being and blessedness in relationship with God; not a temporary feeling or merely circumstantial (Job 5:17; Ps 127:5; 128:2; 144:15; Prov 3:13, 18; 14:21; 28:14; James 5:11; 1 Peter 3:14; 4:14 KJV).

We turn to psychologists, psychiatrists, motivational speakers, and life coaches who offer analysis and guidance for making life happier and better. With the intent of becoming happier in a New Year, many people make resolutions or set goals. This is done to break away from old behaviors or to ward off recurring results of a previous year, and to set a direction for the incoming year. Some sources Not surprisingly, a Forbes Health/OnePoll survey of 1,000 adults conducted in 2023 found that 52% have abandoned their resolutions by the fourth month. Mid-year is a point some hit the resolution reset button.

There are benefits to making resolutions and setting goals, but the key to achieving them with happiness is first making them based on one’s relationship with God—pursuing Him and His purpose for one’s life.

The Apostle Paul did not claim to be a psychologist or psychiatrist, but clearly he was a God pursuer. In Philippians 3:4-16, I find three primary principles that guided him in his pursuit of happiness—knowing God, becoming Christ-like, and obtaining the ultimate goal. Applying these principles will aid you in assessing and attaining what God desires for you to apprehend so you can experience a Happy New Year.

1. Real resolutions necessitate careful reflection (vv. 7-8a). Carefully reflect on what is most important for you by God and not what others have imposed on you.

2. Real resolutions are based on compelling reasons (vv. 8b-11). Determine why this is important to you in relation to God and all aspects of your life; be convinced that the benefit or outcome is worth the pursuit.

3. Relentlessly pursue what you have confidently resolved (vv. 12-14). Put everything into going after the goal.

Make this a “Happy New Year” by pursuing the purpose God has for your life.

Copyright © 2024 Johnson Beaven III. All Rights Reserved.

Johnson Beaven III is Principal of Johnson Beaven III Ministries LLC. He serves in the Church Of God In Christ (COGIC) as Executive Secretary and Director of Education in the International Department of Evangelism, and Chairman of District Superintendents in the Indiana North Central Jurisdiction. He's also a religion columnist for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. He's a former pastor, local site coordinator and instructor for the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) Certificate in Theology Program. For information, check Linktree. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @jbeaven and @jbiiiministries.

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