Starter Questions for Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is a key part of learning.
As you start this Make Leaders article, first read and pray through John 13:1-20.
Leadership is love, and love is seen in the person and practice of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we start to seek to be mentored or coached more like Christ, we must begin by being in Christ.
It is Jesus Christ who saves and gathers the church, which is why the community of the church is so important to Him and why discipleship/mentoring/coaching happens best in community. This is they way He has designed it.
How do we know this? He has told us so in the Scriptures.
When Jesus gives us the great commandment in Matthew 22 and then the great commission in Matthew 28, he gives the church his deliberate vision statement for discipleship. We are to love God, love people and make disciples of Jesus Christ. Reforming Church sums this up in three words: Christ | Community | Compassion
We are to love Christ love his community of the church and our neighbours, and with compassion for the crowds we are to love the lost.
Of course we fail at this often, which is why we need the gospel of grace in Christ - where we have forgiveness and the grace-fuelled effort to keep going.
This all shows us that Jesus’ plan is for us to make disciples who are part of, involved, in these wonderful good works which He has created us to do. So we make disciples, we make leaders.
As you start in a community of coaching-in-Christ, we have some helpful starter questions for you to engage in self-reflection. These will be fruitful for you, we pray, if you do reflect honestly with them.
Self-reflection is a key part of learning, the word ‘disciple’ means ‘learner’. Jesus wants us to self-reflect as we look at Him in the Scriptures, seeing the perfect image of God in Christ. Self-reflection grows us in self-awareness, and grows us in being a disciple of Christ who is a servant like Christ.
So let’s start by asking, and reflecting upon:
How did you get saved and gathered in Christ?
What makes you unique? (personality, experiences, strengths, weakness, patterns of sin)
What motivates you?
How do you apply the gospel of Christ to yourself?
What are the habits of grace in your life? (Hearing His voice, having His ear, belonging to His body)
How do you rest?
What idols compete for your worship? (in giving of your time, talents and treasure)
How do you put these idols to death, how do you put sin to death? (Romans 8:13)
What things tends to fill your mind and heart?
How are you staewarding the God-given gifts you have for the sake of the gospel?
Make Leaders Article by Russ Grinter | Pastor & Teaching Elder
Russ is weak, but Jesus is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Russ gladly boasts of his weaknesses by preaching, writing, and speaking the gospel - because Jesus changes everything.