Above is a pic of my youngest daughter and me.
My Husband, My brother in Christ
Learning the Advantage of Diligence... slowly but surely: Part One
Ten Questions to Ask at the Start of a New Year ... --Copyright © 2003 Donald S. WhitneyI found this over at GirlTalk and also at TeamPyro:
Once, when the people of God had become careless in their relationship with Him, the Lord rebuked them through the prophet Haggai. "Consider your ways!" (Haggai 1:5) he declared, urging them to reflect on some of the things happening to them, and to evaluate their slipshod spirituality in light of what God had told them.
Even those most faithful to God occasionally need to pause and think about the direction of their lives. It's so easy to bump along from one busy week to another without ever stopping to ponder where we're going and where we should be going.
The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to stop, look up, and get our bearings. To that end, here are some questions to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.
1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?In addition to these ten questions, here are twenty-one more to help you "Consider your ways." Think on the entire list at one sitting, or answer one question each day for a month.
My Answer: Be more consistent in His Word and rest in His sovereign care seeking HIM first WHEN affliction comes, WHEN I am frustrated...2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
My Answer: Lord... make my children LOVE doing the dishes and taking out the garbage... LOVE IT!!! Actually a more fitting answer would be that He even more profoundly transform my life, conforming my will and desires to His will so that I can be used increasingly for His glory. Such a thing is humanly impossible to do on my own apart from Him for I have many layers of pride and selfish desires that sometimes overtake me.3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
My Answer: A more diligent Biblical practice of "PUT ON and PUT OFF"... for example, PUT ON patience even though my son stomped in the mud and tromped it through the house, finger painting as he went along knowing that he IS a boy and mud IS gooey and fun especially when you are only 5 years old... and PUT OFF that temptation to ground him for a year and "forget" that I put him in the corner after I have him scrub the carpet and walls with Q-tips.4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
My Answer: PRAY more fervently for my husband. Just in the past few months he has stabbed his leg with a knife, fallen off a platform where there use to be steps, almost electricuted himself and caught the house on fire all since we started our home renovations (that he is actually doing an incredibly good job on, in spite of those little mishaps). What will I do about it? Put it on my daily calendar and sinc it to my blackberry phone thingy (my new brain) which will sound an alarm... "BEEEP" as it sends me a note... "Pray for Jon RIGHT NOW"5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
My Answer: DISHES... just kidding... I think. What will I do about it? Hmmm.... how about that prayer that my children will LOVE DISHES!!! Either that or I can transform, by the grace of God alone, my attitude and what I consider time-wasting drudgeries into opportunities to pray for others.6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
My Answer: Dilligently encourage the ladies in our new Bible reading plan that we are doing as a congregation.7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
My Answer: My mother and sister8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?
My Answer: Ummm... put more into practice THIS portion of Scripture.9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
My Answer: Live out, by the grace of God, THIS portion of Scripture no matter what trial comes my way... no matter what person may seek to hurt me..10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?
My Answer: The teaching of my children not just in word but in deed to follow Christ and to seek to be an example of one who is quick to forgive when someone hurts or fails me and quick to seek forgiveness when I hurt or fail someone. Sharing Christ without hesitation knowing that life is a blip and caring more for the souls of the lost which definitley surpasses caring about what people will think if I share the Gospel. To sincerely strive to live a life that brings honor to HIS Holy Name for HIS glory. (I had a hard time narrowing this question down to a "single thing"... obviously. I'm a woman, 'kay!)
(I did not answer these next questions yet... but I plan to later when I have time)
11. What's the most important decision you need to make this year?12. What area of your life most needs simplifying, and what's one way you could simplify in that area?
13. What's the most important need you feel burdened to meet this year?
14. What habit would you most like to establish this year?
15. Who do you most want to encourage this year?
16. What is your most important financial goal this year, and what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it?
17. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your work life this year?
18. What's one new way you could be a blessing to your pastor (or to another who ministers to you) this year?
19. What's one thing you could do this year to enrich the spiritual legacy you will leave to your children and grandchildren?
20. What book, in addition to the Bible, do you most want to read this year?
21. What one thing do you most regret about last year, and what will you do about it this year?
22. What single blessing from God do you want to seek most earnestly this year?
23. In what area of your life do you most need growth, and what will you do about it this year?
24. What's the most important trip you want to take this year?
25. What skill do you most want to learn or improve this year?
26. To what need or ministry will you try to give an unprecedented amount this year?
27. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your commute this year?
28. What one biblical doctrine do you most want to understand better this year, and what will you do about it?
29. If those who know you best gave you one piece of advice, what would they say? Would they be right? What will you do about it?
30. What's the most important new item you want to buy this year?
31. In what area of your life do you most need change, and what will you do about it this year?
The value of many of these questions is not in their profundity, but in the simple fact that they bring an issue or commitment into focus. For example, just by articulating which person you most want to encourage this year is more likely to help you remember to encourage that person than if you hadn't considered the question.
If you've found these questions helpful, you might want to put them someplace—in a day planner, PDA, calendar, bulletin board, etc.—where you can review them more frequently than once a year.
So let's evaluate our lives, make plans and goals, and live this new year with biblical diligence, remembering that, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage" (Proverbs 21:5). But in all things let's also remember our dependence on our King who said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
Copyright © 2003 Donald S. Whitney.
Copyright Disclaimer: All the information contained on the Center for Biblical Spirituality website is copyrighted by Donald S. Whitney. Permission granted to copy this material in its complete text only for not-for-profit use (sharing with a friend, church, school, Bible study, etc.) and including all copyright information. No portion of this website may be sold, distributed, published, edited, altered, changed, broadcast, or commercially exploited without the prior written permission from Donald S. Whitney.
Comments
Hi LIsa - I am new to blogging and found your blog - I enjoy reading what you have to say! Have a great day! Blessings, margaret
Posted by: Margaret | January 4, 2007 10:32 AM
Welcome to the blogosphere Margaret. If the Lord blesses you in the time you spend reading anything here than to GOD ALONE be ALL the glory. If you would like to learn from my blogging mistakes, go to THIS link.
May the Lord bless you as you press on in HIS truth and HIS love for HIS glory,
Lisa
Posted by: lisa4given | January 4, 2007 11:03 AM