Friday, December 28, 2018

Mining 2018

As the year draws to a close, we like to remember. We look back on they year with a mixture of fondness and relief. Remembering is important.

If we fail to remember, we can't evaluate our lives. We miss opportunities to learn and grow. Everyone has had hard times, and these times have much to say to us.

Here are some suggestions as we close out 2018.

Look at your life. 
Remember where you have come from and what you have experienced. Remember your successes and accomplishments. Remember your failures and weaknesses. Anticipate the good things coming in the new year. Recall your experiences as if they happened to a good friend. How would a good friend evaluate your year?

Learn from your life.
Look closely to see God at work in your circumstances. See how he has grown you up. Make sure that your suffering has meaning and purpose. Recognize the patterns in your experiences. How has God been preparing you for some new endeavor all along? What struggles keep coming up for you? How can God redeem that?

Live your life.
When you have a better sense of God's leading, you can move boldly into new adventures. It is so easy to maintain the status quo of your life. But God is calling you to something more. Take some next steps. Trust him to lead.

The year 2018 will wrap up in just a few days. Mine it for all the gold you can.