Take Time to Look at Your Life
Questions for Personal Reflection
by Ann Boyd, Jay Sivits, and Sara Scheunemann
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We often move at a rapid pace, swept along by the currents of busyness. We feel harried by the demands of others and by the expectations that we set for ourselves, and we forget how important it is to be still before God. We want to seek his will and take extended time to talk with him, but these things get crowded out by the pressures of daily life.
If this has been your experience lately, think seriously about carving out a few hours to look with God at your life. We have compiled a list of questions that might help you to prayerfully examine your life and relationships. These questions are not meant to become yet another standard by which to measure yourself. Rather, use them as a tool to help you identify areas for which you are thankful as well as areas where God is continuing to form your character. |
Life with God
How would you describe your relationship with God right now?
What have you been doing to cultivate your relationship with God lately? What spiritual disciplines have been most meaningful to you?
Has God spoken to you recently through his Word, in prayer, or through other people? What has he said? How have you responded?
Are there some particularly rough spots in your life that you'd like to talk to God about? Is there anything you need to confess?
Life with Yourself
How healthy are your sleeping, eating, and exercise patterns?
What experiences and factors are influencing how you feel about yourself at the moment?
What activities replenish you? Are you finding enough time for them? If not, how can you make more time for these things?
What are you learning from the books you're reading?
Is there a question that keeps surfacing in your heart — one you might have been staying too busy to hear? Could it be that this is God's question for you as well?
Life in Your Vocation
What do you think is your goal or purpose in life? How do the activities of your daily life and your vision for the future align with that purpose?
Are you enjoying your studies or work? How do you respond when people ask you about school or work?
How do you meet God in your studies or work? Have you sought his guidance when you run across problems? How has he answered you? For what can you thank him in your work life?
What are you doing to understand and apply biblical concepts to your academic discipline or profession?
Life with Others
Who are the significant people in your life? How are you fostering these relationships?
Do you have outstanding conflicts with others? How might they be addressed?
When have you experienced the sense of being on "holy ground" with another and glimpsed the reality and possibility of spiritual community?
How is God inviting you to reach out to others — both those who know him and those who don't?
Final Touches
Spend some time in prayer talking to God about the things you have learned through pondering these questions. Make any commitments that you feel are necessary. Rejoice with God over his good work in your life!
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