The flipping of the calendar does not really change anything. If you find happiness this year, it will be because of what you put into your life. What are the essentials to a happy life and a happy New Year?
1. A self to live with. Is life worth living? Yes, if a person can find a self to live with. Unless you like yourself, there is little chance of your liking life. Even if you have messed up and your past years have been a record of mistakes and failures, you can still recover. Through faith in Jesus Christ your sins can be forgiven and you can begin life anew. That’s one of the marvelous promises of the Bible. You can become the kind of person you like and thus have a happy New Year.
2. A purpose to live for. Man is the only creature of God who must have a purpose for being. All other animals are content just to exist. Our life finds its deepest meaning in serving God. The scriptures declare, “for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11). In realizing and fulfilling that truth, you will find happiness. We are not living for ourselves. We are not to live for money; we are to live for God. The byproduct of that is happiness.
3. A faith to live by. Life must have some anchors and compass points. Otherwise we wander aimlessly without a sense of direction. Therefore, we continue in commitment to Jesus Christ. We accept the Bible as the lamp to our feet and a light to our paths. Through a right relationship to God and obedience to his word, we find a sense of stability and direction.