31 Birthday Questions

March 13, 2009, 10:27 am
Filed under: Elsbeth's thoughts

This is a very thought provoking set of questions. I decided that since my 26th birthday is tomorrow I would spend some time in reflection on the most important things in life.

Questions to Ask at the Start of a New Year or On Your Birthday

1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God? I need to just spend time with God… not just studying a book about God or just doing another activity for God… but just sitting down and enjoying God as a friend and my Father.

2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year? I will ask God to give me the chance to share the gospel with 100 people.

3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year? I will seek to be selfless in my thoughts and actions, full of love and grace and humility. I will try to model Christ in my life.

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it? I want to make progress in the spiritual discipline of focused prayer, just simply communicating with my heavenly Father without worrying about anything else. In order to achieve this I will try to spend some time in undistracted prayer each day, in a solitary setting and put aside all the distractions that always try to steal my attention.

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year? The biggest time waster in my life is the internet. I spend too much time just doing mindless things. It is my intention to limit my time on the internet to what is helpful or achieving some purpose. (i.e. looking up recipes, watching the news, staying in touch with my friends)

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church? The best way I can strengthen my church in Korea, in Indiana, and wherever Jeremy and I end up going, is to have a servant’s heart, like Christ, ready and willing to do what I can to serve and build up the body of Christ.

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year? I’m going to pray for my brother, that he would be sure that he is a child of God and begin to live for God with the same passion that he now lives for the world.

8. What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year? I will make this a year of passionately seeking God, not just “getting by” in my spiritual walk.

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?I will seek God out in prayer at a time set aside from my schedule. I will spend time in just worship and praise, before I bring my requests to Him.

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity? I’m getting married, which is a life-time commitment. It is a great gift and responsibility… my ministry now is my (almost) husband. What I can do to build him up and help him to be a great man of God is my greatest ministry. In my marriage I also want to model the love that God has for me, selfless, full of grace and mercy, so that when people observe my marriage they can know God better. In ten years, I want people to see our lives and see God. In eternity, I want God to receive glory from the way I used His gift of marriage. I want to know that people were pointed to God through my family.

11. What’s the most important decision you need to make this year? I need to decide where I will work to support my family. Jeremy and I will decide our schedule together after we are married, what is a worthy use of our time and what is most important.

12. What area of your life most needs simplifying, and what’s one way you could simplify in that area? I need to simplify my schedule… it is too busy right now.

13. What’s the most important need you feel burdened to meet this year? I would like it very much if Jeremy and I could start supporting a missionary from our own income.

14. What habit would you most like to establish this year? I would like to establish the habit of consistent, daily prayer and devotions with God. I would also like to start having “family devotions” after Jeremy and I are married.

15. Who do you most want to encourage this year? I most want to encourage my soon-to-be husband, Jeremy in his walk with the Lord and his is new venture in seminary.

16. What is your most important financial goal this year, and what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it? I have two big ones…. I have the goal of paying of my students loans, which I will be able to do soon as I move back all the money I have saved this last year in Korea. Jeremy and I will live off of my income for the next few years as he attends seminary. My second goal is to work with him on creating a budget for our lives and then STICKING TO IT!

17. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your work life this year? I can finish strong here at my school in Korea and also trust God to provide the right job for me after we are married.

18. What’s one new way you could be a blessing to your pastor (or to another who ministers to you) this year? I will seek to regularly pray for the pastors in my life.

19. What’s one thing you could do this year to enrich the spiritual legacy you will leave to your children and grandchildren? I’m feeling more and more of a pull toward being a mother. A big part of me just can’t wait to have children! I think that even though Jeremy and I will be waiting a few years to have children, I can begin to prepare for giving them a spiritual legacy by making sure our home and family now is firmly centered around God. I would like to begin having family devotions at least on a weekly basis.

20. What book, in addition to the Bible, do you most want to read this year? Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

21. What one thing do you most regret about last year, and what will you do about it this year? I regret most that my devotions with God were sporadic. This has always been something that I struggle with and every year something that I want to change. I hope and plan that after Jeremy and I are married we will keep each other accountable and consistent.

22. What single blessing from God do you want to seek most earnestly this year? A beautiful wedding day and a wonderful start to our marriage!

23. In what area of your life do you most need growth, and what will you do about it this year? This theme keeps coming out, but it is good to reinforce it in my mind… I need to be consistent in prayer and spending time with God.

24. What’s the most important trip you want to take this year? There are so many! Traveling from Korea to Indiana, traveling from Indiana to Texas to meet Jeremy’s family, traveling from Texas to Indiana with all our stuff, moving from Indiana to Louisville, KY, and of course the honeymoon!!! And all those are taking place in the next 4 months. After that I hope to take a break from traveling for a while.

25. What skill do you most want to learn or improve this year? I would like to improve in my guitar.

26. To what need or ministry will you try to give an unprecedented amount this year? I’m not sure. Jeremy and I will consider together.

27. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your commute this year? No commute yet… but I’m love listening to sermons! It would also be good to memorize scripture.

28. What one biblical doctrine do you most want to understand better this year, and what will you do about it? I’m becoming more and more fascinated with studying out the references to Jesus in the Old Testament. I would like to spend more time researching this topic.

29. If those who know you best gave you one piece of advice, what would they say? Would they be right? What will you do about it? I’m not sure… maybe they would tell me that I need to be more others focused, instead of self focused… I don’t know. Any comments?

30. What’s the most important new item you want to buy this year? A place to live.

31. In what area of your life do you most need change, and what will you do about it this year? I need to put my focus firmly on God, not on others, not on myself, not on the perfect wedding, not on my life after the wedding, not on worries or everything that needs to be done. I need to live this out on a daily, hourly basis. I am so weak and easily distracted and so easily my priorities get messed up. God is my first love. He must be my first priority. What He wills is my will. What He desires is my desire. What He loves I will love. What He hates I will hate. All that belongs to me is His. His is my God and I am His humble servant.

Questions to Ask at the Start of a New Year or on Your Birthday

http://biblicalspirituality.org/newyear.html