A Final Look Back at 2010

The Associate Pastor at our church put a questionnaire in our bulletins a couple weeks ago and I decided to take a few of them a share them here.

1. Am I more like Christ today than I was this time last year?

This is the goal and yet I hesitate to say yes. I feel so far from the perfection of Jesus some days that to say I am more like Jesus feels slanderous to His precious name. I’m not sure as I sit here what the benchmarks would be to judge whether I’m more like Him. In some ways I feel like I back-pedaled and others, inched forward.

2. Do I love Jesus more today than I did this time last year?

Yes. After feeling guilty for so long about not feeling “holy” enough, that is gone and I feel a true, growing love for the Son of God who gave His life for me.

3. What do I believe are the biggest obstacles to my growth as a Christian?

Worrying about what others think of me. It’s a perennial issue for me. I worry people will think I’m not holy enough. I worry others think I’m “too” holy. I worry that others think…etc.

4. How do I expect to overcome them?

I don’t see it so much as how I’m overcoming, but that God is slowly working a change in me. I have been experiencing a change in perspective. I guess how I plan to overcome this is by allowing God to change me, purposing to let Him work His will in my life.

5. What do I plan to do in this coming year that will help me grow in love for God?

Diligently reading His word. Learning more about my Savior, the more I learn, the more I fall in love with Him.

6. Do I love with a true sense of purpose– a God-given purpose– or do I simply try to survive from one day to the next?

No. In the day-to-day workings of life, I forget that I have a purpose. I forget to find my joy in Him and the little gifts He freely gives. I want to be more diligent in counting my blessings this year.

Now to round out this look back at 2010, here are two things I learned about myself.

I engage in some self-sabotaging habits, namely procrastination and junk food binges. Both leave me feeling like I can’t get anything done. The first because I have no time. The second because I have no energy.
I enjoy hostessing. Now that my home doesn’t need a big cleaning before it is ready for company, I enjoy the process of planning and hosting guests immensely.

Now, onto 2011.

Blessings, Vicki