In a column on Christmas Eve, Straits Times Editor at Large Han Fook Kwang described 2017 as “dangerous and testing”, or in short, annus horribilis, Latin for “a horrible year”. Recalling the events that made the headlines – the North Korean nuclear crisis, and ongoing tensions in the Middle East for example – it’s certainly an apt term.

But as I read through Han’s recap of the stories that shook both Singapore and the world, I wasn’t struck with as much a sense of dread as a sinking feeling of déjà vu.

If you recall, 2016 was also considered annus horribilis for some. 2015 was not spared the label either. Oh, and a decade ago? Check.

In Han’s piece, “the 2017 story was about countries continuing the jostling for their place under the sun”. But, really, to quote a king who knew a thing or two about power struggles, this is “nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

We’ve been through this news cycle before. And it’s not just about global conflicts or the ambitions of world powers. It’s the same with our lives.

In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon was a wine connoisseur, worked hard and sought wealth. He threw himself into the daily grind, like we all do, in the hope of finding meaning. But as it turns out, he was just “chasing the wind”.

Ultimately, what we’re told should make us happy just doesn’t fill us up.

A Boston College study called ‘The Joys and Dilemmas of Wealth’ came to the same conclusion. It surveyed about 165 rich households, each with an average net worth of $78 million.

The study’s aim was to find out if great wealth brought fulfillment, but according to the Atlantic, who covered the story, the results showed “a surprising litany of anxieties: their sense of isolation, their worries about work and love, and most of all, their fears for their children”.

So why all this talk of futility when 2018 has just begun?

Shouldn’t we be focusing on our #goals and what we want to achieve in the new year? Nobody’s raining on the new year parade, and of course it’s great to dust off those gym shoes and commit to new endeavours. But it’s also important to realise that, in the end, there has to be more than just running after the wind.

In 2 Corinthians Paul writes that “our present troubles are small and won’t last very long, yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever”. He encourages us not to “look at the troubles we can see now”, but instead “fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen” (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18).

To be honest, it’s easier said than done, Apostle. It takes little effort to get bogged down by the cares of the world. I worry about how I’m going to earn or save enough to provide for the ones I love, for example, or to find a nice home.

It could be the same for you, or something else – whether you’re a fresh graduate, mid-career employee, CEO or retiree. Scrolling through social media doesn’t make it any better. I think King Solomon was referring to me when he wrote: “Everything is wearisome beyond description, no matter how much we see, we are never satisfied.” (Ecclesiastes 1:8)

Paul’s not asking us to ignore our practical concerns, but to see our lives and work as part of something bigger, something eternal.

As Jesus said: “Store your treasures in heaven.” (Matthew 6:20) Use your talents for God. Serve Him with what you have. Perhaps that’s how we can rise above the worries of the world.

When I interviewed Singapore Centre for Global Missions National Director Lawrence Ko for a recent article, he mentioned that the “sacred-secular divide” in Singapore was “very strong”, referring to the idea that many Christians still saw their faith as separate from their work or daily lives. Some only assumed they were serving God when they were “dedicated Bible study cell group leaders”, he said.

“That’s important, don’t get me wrong, but what you are accomplishing, whether you’re a doctor or car mechanic – that’s your ministry,” he added. “If you’re a doctor, every day in your clinic you can actually be touching lives for God. You are representing the healing ministry of God. You don’t need to only be attending a healing service to be healing.”

It may be the same old headlines in 2018. Who knows? It might even be another annus horribilis. But we don’t have to be strapped to the news cycle or beholden to the predictions of pundits if our eyes are fixed on things above. Because what you do for the Lord is tangible, practical and matters for eternity.

This year, let’s not chase after the wind, but learn to see above the grind.