BYM ONLINE DESK Blessing Jan 2020 English Emagazine | Page 14

January 2020 | www.bymonline.org | Page 14
10 Questions
For the New Year
1. Do you have a growing awareness of God's
presence in your life? As we mature in our faith, we
become more aware of God's activity in our lives and
around the world.
2. Are you increasingly aware of your own sin?
Maturity might cause us to sin less (that's a big might), but
it clearly makes us more aware of our sin which gives us
more appreciation for God's grace.
3. Is there something in God's Word you are
struggling to understand? This implies you are reading the
Bible and that you are reading it in a personal way.
4. Are you pursuing God's plan for your life and
how you fit into God's global purpose? God is at work
around the world, but He is also active in individual
hearts. He made each person with specific skills,
experiences, and gifts in order to use them to accomplish
His global purpose.
5. Are you growing in love for those who have been
difficult for you to love? Few things characterize spiritual
maturity like a growth in our ability to love others,
specifically those who are difficult to love.
6. Is there a discipline to your spiritual growth? We
do not earn God's love, but in response to His love, we do
seek to become like Him. Without a plan, little growth
will take place.
7. Are you actively involved in a local church? One
can be a Christian and not go to church, but it is not
possible to obey God's commands apart from the church.
The local church is part of God's plan. To follow Him, we
must associate with others.
8. Is your lifestyle noticeably different from your
peers who do not know Jesus? Obedience to God causes
us to make different choices than if we simply lived for
ourselves. We should serve more, care more, and give
more than others. This should distinguish us from those
who do not believe.
9. Is your relationship with God a source of great
delight? The end result of faith is not judgment,
prudishness, or gloom. Faith produces delight. The
Gospel is good news and it should be a source of great joy
for us.
10. Do you live in an increasing gratitude because
of what God has done for you? Gratitude is a natural by-
product of faith. The more we understand what God has
done, the greater our feeling of gratitude toward Him
grows.
-Selected