Just Five Questions...

Recently, in a teaching I did for Celebrate Recovery, I shared a list of five things to ask of myself each day. This is an “inventory” that we could all stand to take on a regular basis…one that will allow us to catch a glimpse of any potential “wanderings” from the center of where God might want us to be.

Dad taught me when I was quite young that, when measuring a board, for example to cut one exactly like it, you can lay the board on top, or alongside the new piece, mark it, and cut. That is safe. Where you would get into trouble, he would explain to me is that, if I wanted to cut 3…or 5…or 10 pieces exactly the same, would be to randomly grab a previously cut piece and do the same. The “secret” is this: ALWAYS use ONE and only ONE (the same) original piece as your pattern; if your first cut varies by 1/8-inch, you can catch up on the next cut. If you lose 1/8-inch on each cut…after 8 boards, you are an INCH off! It doesn’t seem like much, but “slipping” little by little can add up, and when we look at the finished product, something is just “not right” about the project.

A DAILY inventory does the same thing with my life. If I ask five simple questions each day –thinking about the last 24 hours—I have not gone so far off track that I cannot “realign” to where I should be.

I think I will try it. Yep, listen to my own teaching. You are welcome to as well…
− What good did I do today?
− In what areas did I blow it today?
− Did I do or say anything that hurt anyone today?
− Do I owe anyone amends?
− What did I learn from my actions today?