Pastoral Letters

Goals for the New Year 2022

December 5, 2021 Author:Pastor Andrew Tan
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psa 90:12). As I write this letter, I write with great fear. One year, one precious year of 8760 hours of our life has passed away. Will you give away one hour of your life to someone for $1000? “Of course not!” Yet we used many hours of our life in 2021 to do things that have very little value. If you spend 2 hours daily watching meaningless videos on YouTube, you have wasted 730 hours of your life. This is one month of your precious life. My point is: if you do not make a conscious effort to make good use of time, time and your life will just disappear. Before you know it, your life is over. You must set goals for 2022. But do not stop here. You need to set, minimally, weekly goals to achieve the goals you set for 2022, But do not stop here. You must plan what you want to do daily. Make a daily timetable. If you do this, you are controlling how you spend your time (which is your life). If you don’t do that, meaningless things and people will take control of your time. Before you know it, another 8760 hours have passed away.

What goals should you set for the year 2022? The apostle Paul says, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Tim 4:8). Good health is only useful in this life because everyone will still die no matter how healthy you are now. But godliness will win you God’s favour and blessing in this life and in eternity, including rewards that will last for eternity, remembered forever by God. In this life, when you live a godly life, there will be real joy and peace, and strength to live life.

Do these several things. 1. Do not miss even one Sunday Worship service. Do not let anyone or anything deny you this important means of God’s grace. Then your souls will be fed with God’s precious word. Your life will be energised by the presence of God. 2. Read your Bible daily. I’m talking about your Quiet Time, a short time (say, 15 minutes) when you read God’s word and pray to God. 3. Spend at least 10 minutes praying to God before you start your day in the morning: “But I cry to you for help, LORD. In the morning my prayer comes before you” (Psa 88:13). 4. Pray for 3 persons daily, that you will lead him/her to know Jesus in the year 2022. This means you must pray for them daily; spend time to care for them. Have meals with them. Make yourself available for them. “Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them” (Psa 126:6).

Dear All, the Lord’s return is near. “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the amour of light . . . clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh” (Rom 13:11-14).