As we enter the Year of the Dragon, a common greeting resonates: "xīn nián kuài lè, dà jí dà lì" – wishing everyone a Happy New Year and prosperity. This phrase sparked thoughts on the concept of 'richness' and its true meaning.
In Chinese culture, the New Year often emphasizes wealth, prompting me to question about the type of richness we aspire to. Is it the American dream of material success – money, homes, and cars? Or are we seeking a richer, intangible fulfillment? Could our focus extend beyond material wealth to include wisdom, intelligence, and good health? Is it possible that our aspirations should involve the legacy we leave behind and the impact we have on others and the world?
Delving deeper, the question arises: What kind of wealth will endure beyond our time on this earth? What do we genuinely want to accumulate in our lives?
As we are entering the second month of this new year, the call is not just for financial prosperity but also for enriching our lives in ways that extend beyond the grave. Whether it involves cultivating wisdom, nurturing meaningful relationships, or leaving a positive legacy, may this new year bring us a wealth that truly matters.
My aspiration for this year revolves around deepening my understanding of my purpose. It's evident in observing the myriad of ways people invest their focus, time, and resources into various pursuits we are inherently designed to worship. What we choose to worship becomes the essence of our lives.
I am committed to avoiding the squandering of my life on pursuits that are transient and fade into the memories of the past. Instead, I desire to channel my time and focus into endeavors that extend beyond my own existence and withstand the test of time. My wish extends to those around me, urging them to recognize the significance of acknowledging an eternal judgment and being prepared for the presence of the Creator, the Ancient of Days.
Reflecting on my worship of the God I trust, I draw attention to the undeniable existence of a creator beyond human comprehension, evident in the world we inhabit. While scientists seek the knowledge of the beginning of time without definitive explanation, the Bible consistently provides answers to the origins of this knowledge. The notion of God being present equally in the past, present, and future, across every location within creation, heaven, and hell, emphasizes the omnipresence and omniscience of God. This awareness offers both comfort and a sobering realization that nothing we do can escape His knowledge, and we can not hide our actions.
I acknowledge the challenge of grappling with the idea of a God beyond our control and understanding. However, my preference is to worship and have faith in a God known for being trustworthy, never failing, fulfilling His promises, and possessing the power and knowledge to bring about the best for us. I find solace in the concept of a perfect judge – an Ancient of Days who comprehends the entirety of the story and ensures decisions based on fairness, devoid of favoritism and incorruptibility.
For the upcoming year, my hope for you is to be rich in knowledge of the God I trust – a God deserving of your love, trustworthy enough to be intricately involved in every moment of your life, holding your life in His hands. A God who, out of boundless love, understands the impossibility of self-improvement to the extent required to overcome the ugliness of sin and evil. A God willing to redeem His child through the sacrifice of a part of Himself – as a Son who paid our sin penalty, a Spirit dwelling within our spirit, and a Father persistently seeking His child until they are brought home.
Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there, your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalms 139:7-15=ESV
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