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Questions for Personal Reflection

Because life is so hectic, a lot of us struggle to get the time alone with God we really need each day. So author and pastor Gordon MacDonald suggests some questions we can ask ourselves as part of an extended Sabbath time once a week. But be careful, they will change your life!

1. What have been the beautiful moments in which God may have been revealing himself to me? And what have been the evil moments when the worst in me or in the larger world showed itself?


2. What happened this week that needs to be remembered, perhaps recorded in a journal so I can return to it in the future and recall the blessing (or the rebuke) of God? Making such a record is like those monuments and altars God had the Israelites raise up when great things worth remembering had happened.


3. What have my prevailing feelings been (and what are they at the present)? Has there been a preponderance of sadness, of fear, of anger, of emptiness? Or has it been a time where joy and enthusiasm has been the dominant mood?


4. What have been the "blessings," those acts of grace that have come through others or—as I perceive it—directly from God himself? Can I express praise and appreciation (sometimes even written in a thank-you note or journal)?


5. Have things happened for which I need to accept responsibility, perhaps leading to repentance? Why did they happen? Were they avoidable and how can they be prevented in the future?


6. Is there any resentment or ill feeling toward others that remains unaddressed, unforgiven?


7. What is God trying to say into my life today? Through Scripture? Through other readings? What has he been saying through those in my inner circle of relationships? Through critics? What insights swirl up and out of the deepest parts of my soul?


8. What are the things I might do and say that would make people feel more loved and appreciated?


9. What specific steps will I take today to enhance growth as a follower of Jesus?