Editor’s journey
Biggest mistakes of 2004
SPRINGFIELD, MO. — The following themes made our family’s list of biggest mistakes of 2004:
- Abandoning my exercise routine and eating too much
- Not always listening to my parents
- Not having enough fun
- Exceeding my cell phone minutes
- Not doing my best in school
- Worrying about the future
- Not getting enough sleep
- Missing opportunities to share Christ with people
- Watching too much television and not spending enough time with my family and friends
- Not reading the Bible often enough
Fortunately we can learn from last year’s failures and, with the Spirit’s leading, take corrective action.
Lamentations 3:40 instructs us to evaluate our lives: “Let us examine our ways and test them” (NIV). Psalm 139:23,24 says that God also examines our hearts: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Human nature compels us to hide our faults and to ignore our mistakes, but that approach only leads to lukewarm, powerless religion.
Conversely, followers of Christ invite the Holy Spirit to reveal their shortcomings and convict them of sin so they can walk down the path of righteousness. (See 1 John 1:9.) In other words, for believers, mistakes are mere steppingstones — not stumbling blocks.
Let me encourage you to turn to click on "Taking the test" and reassess your lifestyle and priorities. Invite the Holy Spirit to help you set goals for the coming year. With God’s help you don’t have to make the same mistakes in 2005.
Hal Donaldson
E-mail your comments to pe@ag.org.
