With only a few days left in 2017, there’s an invitation to reflection. New Years is an opportunity to quiet yourself before God and reflect on what He has done this past year, and to look ahead with His promises for the coming year. It’s easy to cruise through your days on autopilot without taking the time to pause and ponder, yet it’s of incredible spiritual importance to take the time to reflect.
QUIET REFLECTION
Just like a lake reflects the sky when it’s without a ripple, you reflect heaven best when you quiet your spirit in His Presence. We encourage you to set some time apart this week to quiet yourself before God and reflect. Whether you lock yourself in your home office, you hide yourself in the corner of your favorite coffee shop or you find a beautiful spot in nature; give yourself the time and space to meet with God. Pause all to-do lists and silence your phone for a while, so He can embrace you in stillness.
COURAGE TO BE STILL
It can be scary to quiet down. Maybe you’re afraid of what your heart will feel when it has no distractions. Maybe you’re hesitant to reflect on this past year, because it has been one of pain, disappointments or loss. Maybe you’ve made some mistakes this year you feel ashamed about. Maybe you’re disappointed in yourself because you feel like you haven’t measured up. Identify what is keeping you from quieting yourself and invite God’s voice to speak truth into that area. Allow yourself to mourn the difficult events of this year, so His comfort can wrap around you. Be honest about your disappointments with yourself and God, so a new revelation of Jesus’ sacrifice can cover you.
HEAVEN-COLORED GLASSES
The Holy Spirit wants to give you heaven-colored glasses to look back on the last twelve months. Instead of avoiding the mirror, ask Him to share how He has seen you and how He views your decisions this year. Find the courage to own your story by inviting Him to be your Narrator. He will teach you His language of grace and compassion. We believe you will discover a revelatory new perspective on some of the hardest moments of your 2017 as you take this time with God.
CELEBRATING PROGRESS
You don’t always notice change in yourself, because you quickly become familiar with a new reality. We are all in process, moving towards the fullness of the person we are called to be. In all this forward movement, it’s important to celebrate the steps we’ve already taken. Even the smallest progress can serve as a powerful source of encouragement. Past victories are like fuel that keeps you going. This is why God has placed such a high value on capturing and treasuring the testimony of His goodness. Whether it’s a significant step in your personal development or a breakthrough in an area you’ve struggled in, writing down these testimonies help you remember them in moments you need a dose of faith.
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
In the beginning of 2017, we asked God what promises He was highlighting for this year. You can read that prophetic word here. Based on those promises, we crafted ten reflective questions that will help you capture the testimonies of 2017. Grab a journal and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you write down your answers.
- What increase or growth have you noticed inside of yourself?
- If every year is a chapter of your life story, what would the title of 2017 be in your book? Why?
- 2017 was the year of childlike wonder. Describe an “ordinary” moment of this year that made you in awe of God’s goodness.
- What was one verse, chapter or story from His Word that God kept highlighting to you this year? What new revelations did you receive from that passage?
- What new aspect of Jesus did you discover this year? What name or characteristic did He reveal to you in a fresh way?
- Think back at something that you were worried about at the beginning of this year. How did God show Himself faithful in that situation? Describe how He took care of you, so you can read back this testimony when worry knocks on your door again.
- 2017 was the year of easy bravery. Celebrate the moments you’ve been brave this year, even your smallest expressions of courage. What was something scary you did this year? In what ways have you been brave?
- This was the year of asking. What’s a “ridiculous” prayer you asked for this year? How did He answer that prayer? If you haven’t seen the prayer fulfilled yet, what promise is He giving you so you can continue believing for it?
- Did God surprise you with something extravagant that you didn’t even ask for?
- 2017 was the year of Possible Impossibilities. Have you experienced an impossibility becoming possible this year? How have you seen God’s miraculous power at work?
We would love to hear from you! Do you have any testimonies of God’s goodness you’d like to share? Share them on our Facebook page or on our Instagram, so other people can be encouraged by His goodness as well.
We designed a 2017 collection with the prophetic words for this year. We only have a few of these limited edition pieces left, so get them while supplies last. Now 30% off with the coupon code 30OFF2017: https://www.thecrowningjewels.com/collections/2017-capsule-collection
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Written by Eline Millenaar
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash