Oh, what a new day the Lord has made! What a privilege we've got to be part of the living this new year! Some few hours ago we were having our hands aloft in chapels, churches and cathedrals, thanking God for counting us worthy to see the end of the yearlong journey.
It was '31st Night'! And as we do on the eve to every new year, we made promises, restitutions and resolutions, both to God and man. We confessed all past sins and mistakes, asked for forgiveness, and made final amendments. We resolved never to repeat the past mistakes, and made great pronouncements on our lives for this year. We made vows and drew plans for this new year too. Oh, this year, we hope things will not be the same. We are expectant of good things. But, after that vow, after that resolution, what next?
At the end of the previous years, we must have made similar resolutions and plans for the subsequent years. Last year, what happened? If we would recall, do we sincerely think we accomplished our plans? Did we do what we said we would do? Did we get what we were expectant of? We got some. We missed others. Or, we got nothing at all? How about this year? The plans we made some few hours ago, can we accomplish them? If we can, how would we do it?
It all begins with God, first, and then, us---our attitude to laziness, our attitude to hard work. Why God first? Because without Him, we can do nothing. We most times think we can do it alone, but truth is, we need God. We need to commit all our ways into His hands. That is a necessity.
Afterwards, then we focus on ourselves, and think about ourselves in relation to hard work and laziness. Are we lazy? Do we hate to work? Do we love work? Do we work hard? For God's partnership, we'd seek. But if we sit down unconcerned while others work hard to gain, God cannot come down, and work for us. Normally, God looks at our efforts, before giving us the necessary push.
Students! We want academic success. We need to work hard then. We need to learn, and learn hard, and consistently. If the terms and semesters in the previous year were filled with struggles and failures, then, sure, we played a lot and wasted our time. If we want to accomplish our academic plans this year, then, truth is, we must sit down, and learn hard.
Finally, are we truthful? Are we honest? Are we humble? Do we have love for our brothers and sisters and neighbours? Do we pay our tithes faithfully? Do we do good? Are we selfless? These are the wheels that will carry us through this year successfully. If we neglect them, we may struggle very hard to succeed. If we embrace them, success is sure.
May this year bring more abundant blessings than the years before. May it bring good health and wellness. May it be filled with prosperity and good successes. May the year be accident-free. No sicknesses. No hurt. No death. No laziness. No poverty. Only hardwork. Amen.
