by Laurie Besonen, Executive Director, Village Schools of the Bible
Skip the New Year’s resolutions this year! Instead, we invite you to Reflect and Refocus with a simple guide (see link below) to prompt you. You can think of it as a personal coaching appointment sure to produce insight with no bill attached! When I went through training to be a coach for emerging leaders, the trainer revealed her personal practice. She admitted that she sometimes uses the process she taught us to coach herself.
You might wonder, how is reflection related to beginning a new year? According to the University of Edinburgh, “reflection is a process of exploring and examining ourselves, our perspectives, attributes, experiences and actions/ interactions. It helps us to gain insight and see how to move forward”. Reflection on the past helps us with a fresh start. It is also a practice that appears present throughout the scriptures.
As you read through the Bible, the “raw” motives/emotions/ laments God allowed into His book can be a shock. We hear the desperation of the prophets, the anguish David experienced over sin, the joy the Israelites experienced at the dedication of the temple. We read these incidents because, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, someone reflected upon them and wrote them down.
Plus, reflection “increases insight, and creates pathways to future learning” according to Experiential Tools. Reviewing the entire year has yielded benefits in my relationships and leadership. It has reminded me of God’s faithfulness to meet me in every circumstance with His presence and His grace. It has revealed patterns I missed and aided in seeking necessary change.
We invite you to reflect and refocus as you begin 2021 using the guide we created (see link below). As you reflect, “may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit,” (Romans 15: 13).
Village Schools of the Bible 