What 2017 Taught Me

1. I cannot live based on how I feel.

This was a hard one.  I used to worship, only if I felt like it, study, only if I felt like it, and cook, only if I felt like it.  Can you imagine, because I didn’t feel like it, if I was hungry and there was no food I wouldn’t eat.  Wow! If anything it’s important to always worship God, pray, and read your bible.  But for me to now do it only when I felt like it. I’m grateful God didn’t punish me.  In all honesty though, Luke 19: 40 says,

“But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

The, “only when I feel like it” attitude can lead to complacency, feeling distant from God, and laziness. It’s important to be disciplined. And though there are a lot of self help books or YouTube videos on this.  The main step is to make the decision and just do it.

2. Self-worth.

Looking at God to see how He sees me.  I hear this a lot but this was important to knowing and reminding me of my identity.

3. To take people’s advice/comments with a grain of salt.

Now I am not saying that I ignored everyone’s advice and comments.  But, I listened and had to learn to cipher through where their words stemmed from. I also made a conscious decision on what I did with those words.

Many people speak based on emotion and personal experience.

This can be a good thing or a bad thing.

The good – if they logically advise and separate emotions from advice.

The bad – if they’re using their negative experiences to taint their advice.

In the end the decision is yours. Take advice that will help you grow and leave the negative self projection.

4. Mother truly knows best.

If my mom is reading this she is probably grinning ear to ear.  But, majority of the time, mothers truly know best and they just want the best for you.

5. I am a work in progress.

I am a sinner, but there is beauty in repentance – don’t run from God due to shame. Also, I am not perfect, and I am only here by the grace of God.

6. To look at life through a lens of gratitude.

It’s easy to see what is missing, but, when you look at what you do have, and what God has done, those complaints are small and petty in comparison.

7. Embrace the journey.

No one warned me about the post graduation glow gloom.  Maybe gloom is too strong of a word, but life is real!  Through the different trials God is faithful. Embrace those difficult moments because working through them and doing your part makes all the difference.

8. To remain in constant fellowship with Christ.

This fellowship looks different in every season for me. When fellowship with Christ is absent from my life, my worldly ways rears its ugly head.  Fellowship with Christ may look different, which is fine. Adapt with time, but remain intentional in seeking Him.

9. Not everyone is going to be there when you need them and that is okay!  God is faithful regardless.

10. The importance of self reflection.

As I mentioned previously, I am not perfect. It is easy to see what everyone else is doing.  However, those things that annoy you about someone else are most likely things you do as well.  Thus, before I complain about what everyone else has done, it’s important to make sure I work through those characteristics which are within me also.