Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

The reality of resurrection requires the reality of death first. -Alan Fadling

As we close the year and look towards the new year and all that we hope it will be,  we need to take stock of what was. 

Maybe for you, this past year was all you hoped and imagined. 

It may not be the year you hoped for. 

Whatever the case, there are lessons in there and celebrations. 

In his book Get Your Life Back, John Eldredge has some questions to help us see the state of our lives, how rested we are, and how weary and burdened we are. 

Here are a few, and as you read them, be honest with yourself, how are you right now?:

Are you content & satisfied most of the time? Or do you find yourself holding yourself and others to an impossible standard? How much of life do you enjoy?

How often do you feel lighthearted? This gets into how we respond to people, the important question of what it is like to be on the other side of me. When you respond to people, do your reactions match the situation? Or do you fly off the handle?

Are you excited about your future? Do you dream about what God has for you? Do you have time to dream?

Maybe you won’t be excited about the coming year as we get to the end of the year. You might have a sense of foreboding. A clear signal of weariness is the inability to dream or hope about the future. That doesn’t mean you are depressed, but it could be a sign of being tired. 

Do you feel deeply loved? Whether or not we feel loved has an enormous impact on our lives. Many of us are addicted to things because of a lack of love. 

This also helps us see where we are in our relationship with God, others, and ourselves. 

When was the last time you laughed so hard it hurt? Are you always serious, or can you let your hair down and go with the flow? 

This is one of the keys to knowing when I need to let go of something or I’m running too hard. Laughter and enjoyment is a crucial part of living and finding wholeness.