“The practice of looking back and paying attention serves as an anchor for the soul in a fast-moving world.”
Emily P. Freeman
The Bible is peppered with questions. Ann Voskamp writes, “Attend to God’s questions to tend your own soul. Attending to where you are tends to change the way you are.” Take some time to answer these three questions.
Mark 8:29 asks: “Who do you say that I am?” A.W. Tozer writes, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” However, you think about God and His character, who He is to you, determines what your relationship with God will look like. Make a list of who you believe God is. Are there any distorted descriptions of God? Having an accurate assessment of God’s identity helps us discover our own identity, how God sees us.
“Where are you coming from and where are you going?” The angel of the Lord asked this question to Hagar in Genesis 16:8. The first part of the question instructs us to ponder on our past, which is a good time to do a heart check. Is there any sin you need to confess and repent of or a loss that needs to be grieved? Is there someone you need to forgive or to seek forgiveness from? Are there any lies you believed that turned into judgments and vows that are running and ruining your life? What can you thank God for? It’s where we’ve come from, that shapes and forms us into who we are today. Passions often develop from our painful pasts and point the way toward ministry. The second half of the question looks to the future and pertains to our purpose and God-given destiny.
The last question comes from John 1:38, “What do you want?” This is the hardest question for me to answer since I have spent most of my life trying to meet the desires of others. Our desires are often those that God has placed within our hearts, and they reflect who God created us to be.
Make reflection upon these three questions a lifestyle. You will have a greater understanding of your God, yourself, and His purposes in your life.
“The practice of reflection is not one to keep us living in the past or wallowing in mistakes. Instead, it’s a way to pause on purpose and listen to our life so that we can move forward with a little more confidence, a little more clarity, and a lot more intention.”
Emily P. Freeman
Relevant Reflection:
Ponder these three questions and reflect on any revelation God gives to you.
Image by Jose R. Cabello from Pixabay
ความคิดเห็น