A Look at Last Year

With the end of this year here, and the next only a few days away, it is a good time to assess your life. Take a look back  to decide how you're doing.  

• Are you satisfied with how you conducted your life over the past year?
• Were you productive, accomplishing much on most days or did you waste too much time playing games, watching TV or doing other nonproductive activities? 
• Is your relationship with Christ where you believe it should be, feeling that you bring glory to God by living in obedience to His will?

^{Matthew 5:48} Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

We are only perfect by the grace of Jesus. In our humanness there is a lot to be desired. Now is a great time to take an objective look at how we are doing.  Being objective on one's own self can be an eye opening experience assuming you are willing to accept how others see you. To do this look at yourself from another person’s perspective.  Ask your spouse, brother, sister, pastor or fellow Christian a few serious questions about how they see you and be willing to accept their answers without argument.

Do you see something missing that once was there or needs to be filled.

Objective Questions for Self-Assessment

To help assess your Christian life here is a list of questions you might consider asking:  

1. If you met me for the first time would you be able to tell that I'm a Christian by the way I talk, the things I say and through my actions?
2. If I were arrested for being a Christian, would there be evidence to convict me?
3. Am I active in my church or community by helping in some way with a few of the many jobs that need to be done?
4. Am I treating anyone differently than others or holding a grudge against someone, especially a person I care about?
5. Do I blame God for my failures, the failures of others or do I feel what happened is God’s fault?
6. Am I faithful to God with the money he allows me to have by returning a tithe of 10% to my church and giving offerings to other organizations I believe in?
7. Do I give God time in daily devotions so I will know what it is he wants me to do?

Some questions here, only you can answer. They are between you and God but even these will be more obvious to others through your daily actions than you might realize.

The Goal of a Christian is to be Christ-like

Our goal is to allow God to change us into being like Jesus so that others will recognize us by our likeness to Christ.  Our values grow to become Gods values, and the worldly things that we once thought important lose appeal when they are not inline with God's will.

^{2 Corinthians 3:18} But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,,,

It doesn’t mean that we will not have fun or participate in things we enjoy. As we grow in Christ we are the same person but instead of trying to please the world we want to please God in everything we do.  Our greatest joy is to see others find the peace and joy we have in Christ by letting go of our earthly self and striving to be more like Him.

^{Hebrews 12:1-2} …let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus …

What can I do for God Today?  

Take assessment of your actions over the last year.  Make a note or write down where you have succeeded and failed.  Make plans to correct your failures over the coming year.