5 Questions I Need to Ask

When it comes to self examination it can often be useful to read or hear what questions other people ask themselves and I would like to commend Justin Baeder's questions to our reflections>

1. What am I presently doing that I expect will be helpful to my faith formation?

2. Am I being more or less realistic in my thinking than I was three years ago? Is this a good thing?

3. How can I make my level of personal and spiritual happiness less dependent on the season? Things always seem to get tough in the winter.

4. What about my life would make someone who knows me well become more interested in also being a follower of Christ?

5. What the heck am I going to change to get out of debt (at least, credit card debt)?

6. (bonus) Why did it take me so long to get around to this post, and why do I forget so many of my great resolutions?

My comments:

1the first question is a good one: it is very easy for us to bump along with practices that cease to be useful in growing our spiritual life but it is important also to notice what is contributing, especially those things that may not be traditionally thought of as spiritual disciplines; good question especially if we think outside the box.

2. Faith, dealing with unseen things, can all too easily be subvered by fantasy -even more so than more materially-based parts of our life- so reality checks are good. Though we do need to be aware that what constitutes realism is very dependent on our view of the world. This question has the potential to become viciously circular. Best approached as a reflection on what has happened in relation to what we believed, hoped or expected.

3. Actually I'm not sure how realistic this one is! There are neurochemical reasons why winter is hard on a number of people. Perhaps the more interesting question would be how to give ourselves permission to explore the less 'happy' areas of life. What do they have to teach us and what can we do to balance them? Rather than eliminate them how do we integrate them?

4. Actually I think that I'm wary of this one: I wonder whether this kind of question doesn't implicitly lead to the temptation to do things for show rather than because we should be doing them. Perhaps it should be to ask ourselves whether we are living out the insights and callings we have already discovered, so that then we have something to share ...?

5. I reckon the debt issue is quite important. In order to be available maximally to God ties of debt need to be lessened.

6. Procrastination is laways an issue for most of us in at least some areasof our lives. Asking why is helpful. Asking why with a trusted soul-friend is even more helpful and planning to be accountable aout specific things with that soul friend is even more helpful.



Good questions, pleanty to think about. Thanks Justin.

Radical Congruency � 5 Questions I Need to Ask: