But what makes a year a fruitful one? It must be a year in which you have done many things that have eternal value. Only then has this year been truly fruitful. Why? You may ask. The value of one year of your life is worth not $1 million but has infinite worth. Hence it must be used to purchase things that have infinite value. Imagine you use $1 million to buy something that is worth $100,000. You have wasted $900,000! How, then, can you use your life just to obtain things that will one day disappear: wealth, fame, life comforts, education, etc. Paul urges us, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:15-16).
Evaluate yourself in the following areas. Have you grown in holiness, that is, did you put off a bad/sinful habit and have replaced it with a good/holy habit? Did you bring someone to church? Has your life led someone to Christ? Did you help someone in church grow spiritually? Has your life this year lifted up someone who was discouraged so that he/she loves now the Lord more? Do you desire God’s Word more that last year? Did you read the entire Bible once through (you might have taken two years to do so)? Are you more confident in interpreting any part of God’s Word? Did you do your Quiet Time almost daily this year? Do you know your Christian doctrines better by having read a book on Christian theology? Did you spend regular time praying? Do you pray for others and the church regularly? Have you done eternal things this year that will win the Lord’s praise on judgement day? Paul warns us very solemnly, “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good for bad” (2 Cor 5:10.)
Year end is not only a time to check if we had done much for the Lord. It also symbolises that one day we will come to the end of our life journey and face judgement. Do not think in your heart: I’ll work at spiritual things next year when I have time. How do you know you have next year? It could be that we are no longer on earth. It could be that the Lord returns as He promised that He would. If so, this year or next year could be the final year in which we can do eternal things. Let’s respond with the hymn writer, Charles Carroll Luther (1847-1924):
“Must I go and empty-handed?”
Thus my dear Redeemer meet,
Not one day of service give Him,
Lay no trophy at His feet?
“Must I go and empty-handed?”
Must I meet my Saviour so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him
Must I empty-handed go?
Next year is coming soon. Make resolutions now for God. Invest in eternity. Don’t waste your precious life. Carpe Diem!