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