These are the only days we have to make things as right as they can be. As long as you have breath, you have hope and opportunity. My husband calls them the Glory Days.
If you knew that you were going to stand before Jesus, tomorrow, how would you view your life today? What would you do different in the relationship you have with your husband, your children, your mother, your father, your sister, your brother, and those who you say you love?
How do you need to grow as a friend indeed? What prejudices do you hold against people? How aware are you, with those judgments held, of your protective stances?
How many churches have you attended (lately)? Are you mad at the authority of the one you attend now? What issues with authority do you have? How will you deal with them before you stand before the ultimate Authority?
Have you gone from church to church looking for the perfect place that fits your list of what you think "church" should be? Do you go with your own secret agenda in mind and have you gotten mad that your agenda wasn't respected or put into place?
What kind of friends do you keep? Do you keep only the ones that agree with you? How do you show love to those friends? Have you burned bridges with old friends? If so, why? What did you do? How did you make a judgment against them?
What will Jesus tell you on That Day about those judgments? Who are you jealous about? Why?
My husband writes:
There are many kinds of friends: high-school friends, friends you grew up with, fair-weather friends and then, there are true friends. And among true friends there are friends that are distant and there are friends that are with you in the trenches; friends that you are partnering with. The "partnership-friends," mainly those who are in your congregation*, are to me the truest friends.
[*your congregation: fellow followers of Jesus with whom you meet on a regular basis to worship God, learn of His word and encourage one another; believers to whom you are committed, and leaders to whom you are submitted]
What makes a friendship rich and meaningful is ....read the rest here.
This year, might be your last. Who will you reconcile with? What bridge will you build half way so they can have the opportunity (their choice) to meet you in the middle? Do you have the relational skills to know how to build the bridge half way? Are your skills based on Bible?
What pastor do you need to ask forgiveness of? What leadership authority do you need to go back to and acknowledge that you were critical and gossipped about them?
What parent do you need to go to and ask forgiveness of - for not respecting or honoring them in that position?
What will your new resolution be in light of friendships and relationships for 2008?
2 comments:
Your thoughts here are great, thanks for sharing. :)
:)
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