I am not a huge fan of New Year’s Resolutions. They always seem to be good ideas that fail within a few months. On the other hand, I am a huge fan of taking advantage of the changing calendar for reassessment and realignment.
When I was in high school, I did a little surfing on the Gulf Coast. One thing I learned was the importance of putting something (usually an ice chest) on the beach to mark where I walked in the water. You see, the pull of the current and the act of chasing the next wave always pulled me away from the starting point. This happened so subtly that I was rarely aware of how far I drifted. To keep my bearings, or to avoid drifting too far, I had to watch the marker and adjust my position in the water.
10 questions for evaluation
Similarly, the coming of a new year gives us all a chance to evaluate our lives and make adjustments so we can keep our bearings throughout the chaos of life.
As we approach 2020, in what areas have you drifted? Where does your life require realignment?
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Are you deepening relationships with people who need to know Christ?
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Who are you mentoring and leading into a deeper relationship with Christ?
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From whom are you learning to love Christ more?
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What are you doing to advance the gospel to the unreached around the world?
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When did you last ask God about his missionary call on your life? Have you asked God to allow you to serve him overseas? In an unreached area of this country?
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Are you nurturing relationships with people from other countries?
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Do you have any friends who are different from you — politically, ethnically, religiously?
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How does your use of social media advance the gospel? Are there any ways that your use of social media might not advance the gospel?
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Are you raising your children with a missionary vision or a stay at home vision?
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Is there room in your family calendar to be involved in missionary activities?
These ten questions can serve as a source of realignment. Most of them are easy to answer, but the real question is: Do you have the courage to make the adjustments in your life to make 2020 a missionary year?
One other question that probably needs to be asked… Do you have a passport? Is it up-to-date?
If not, are you really open to follow God no matter where he leads? Here is the link from the USPS for getting a passport: https://www.usps.com/international/passports.htm. It may be a great way to start 2020. Happy New Year!
*Editor’s Note: A version of this article was previously published in 2018.
