Questions that will help you in the abandon process
- What
makes me feel good about myself? - Do I
get stuck in a rut periodically? - Do I
regularly depend on God to do things for me that I can’t do on my own? - Do I
have a schedule that is fairly inflexible and crowded? - Do I
own a lot of stuff that is unnecessary for survival? - How do
I feel about the stuff? - Do I
let people see the real me? - How
many insurance policies do I have? - Could
I leave my home and live in a shack if God asked me to? - Do I
have regular extended periods of silence where God can talk to me? - What
people do I look to for answers, support, and encouragement, more than
God? - Am I
afraid of certain ministries that may expose me to broken people? - What
measures do I take to assure that I am being discipled? - Do I
have relationships (family, friends, church) that cause me to feel guilty
for the path that God is leading me? - Do I
experience worry or fear about my possessions being stolen, broken, or
lost? - Do I
actively purpose the dreams and goals that I feel in my heart? - Am I
open to trying new things (foods, activities, ministries, relationships)?
What other questions can you think of?
If the answers you get back concern you, let me suggest that you begin finding ways to cut the ties to the comfortable life to which you may have become addicted. Begin experimenting. Simplify your lifestyle. Awaken your compassion – sponsor an orphan or befriend the homeless. Quit your job and go on an extended mission trip. Begin talking with other seekers about what abandon looks like to them. Or, to really put yourself at risk, sign up for a year-long mission trip where God can reinvent you.
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Seth Barnes
I'm motivated to join God in his global reclamation project. He's on the move, setting his sons and daughters free from their places of captivity. And he's partnering with those of us who have been freed to go and free others.
Questions:
1. What areas of my life do I still retain control?
2. Do I assume responsibility at church for programs that others should be doing?
3. Do I make an idol of wealth or poverty?
4. Do I have to be visible? Could I be comfortable with being invisible?
5. Could I move from success to significance?
6. Could I move from significance to insignificance if God called me there as well?
7. Do I empower others?
8. Do I believe in an extravagant God who might have me spend one year being mentored full time by another person?
9. Do I experience fear at my ideas being rejected?
10. What is the underlying issue that I really afraid to address?