We say we want to live for God, do good. We say we need peace, joy, hope, and love. Do you ever take a minute to ask yourself questions about the person you know best?
YOU?
Ask yourself some questions weekly to see where you are. The sooner you make midstream adjustments, the better. Here are some I think about often, use them to get your self-examination underway:
1. Is there sin in my life? Target this one first. Spend time with God and ask Him to reveal the sin in your life. "He who is without sin cast the first stone" is what Jesus told the men who wanted to stone the adulterous woman. I conclude that we all have things in our life, big and small, that is sin. What is the sin that so easily entangles you? What are the 'little' things you are letting slide? NOTE: If you let little sins go for too long, they turn into bigger ones. And/or desensitize you to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and then you have a big mess later because you let a little sin, lead to another, then another.
2. What am I doing with my time and money? Many of us overcommit and overspend. What does this do to our family and our demeanor? And our time with God? These are the two most limited resources we have. What we do with them will affect us? How do you behave when you're schedule is so tight and you've locked your keys in your car? Or how do talk to your kids when you've jam-packed your day and one of them is reluctant to 'just sit in their seat to let you buckle them'? And what happens to you when money is tight? What are you buying that you really don't need? Where are you WASTING your money? When the bank account is dry, we get a bit stressed out, right? And then, how are we treating the people around us? We need to examine these often, they lead to bigger messes too.
3. Are my actions lining up with my words? Often I talk about goals, so when I sit down to examine myself, I look to see if I even have any on the board. When I talk about love and forgiveness, I look at my relationships to see if there is love and forgiveness in my heart. Or is my heart filled with bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness?
We need to take time to look at how we are, IN REALITY, treating people. Not look at what we want to do for others, or what we are saying we're going to do others. We need to be real and honest and look at the facts of our behavior and the way we are truly talking to people. When was the last time you sacrificed something for someone else? Went out of your way to listen to someone? Did something your flesh didn't want to do, for someone else? Have any compassion in that heart of yours?
4. Is God & my family priorities in my life? After searching for sin in my life, looking at where I am putting my time and attention and money, and looking at how I am treating those around, I can pretty much answer this question with a yes or no.
See, this is why self-examination requires you to be 100% honest with yourself. So is the sin in your life premeditated? Is there conviction in your heart over it or you are ignoring? Are you wasting your resources on 'wanton pleasures'? Are you short, rude, disrespectful to those around you?
YOU CANNOT CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
IF YOU STAY IN DENIAL!
For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing,
he deceives himself.
But each one must examine his own work.
Galatians 6:3, 4
The goal is to do your best! Are you going to mess up and sin? Yes. You are but flesh, a man/woman in need of a Savior. Are you going to have moments of temptation to be impulsive and irresponsible with your finances and time? Probably, you're human. Are you going to have a bad day and treat people from a bad mood/attitude? Possibly, we all have a bad day.
The point, however, is to ask yourself:
Do I have continual, daily behavior that is building up or tearing down?
And only you know your motives and heart, I don't. Yet, don't sit like many and compare yourself to your neighbor/friend/coworker and say, "Well at least I'm not like them". No, don't do that.
Sit with your Bible smack dab in front of you and ask, "Am I truly being like Christ?" Strip away your denial on how you're really acting and then, and only then, can you see the need to change.
"Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery", right? And take heart. When you're goal is to please God and let your life bring Him glory...ask Him for all the help you need to change the things that don't line up with God's word.
Need some direction? Go to Galatians 5:19 and look at the deeds of the flesh. Ask yourself, do I have these in my life?
Then go down to Galatians 5:22 and ask yourself, do others see these in me and my life?
If you're still struggling with this concept, find someone who is NOT AFRAID TO BE HONEST WITH YOU...no intimidated, people pleasers allowed for this. Ask your honest confidant to help you identify the areas, behaviors, and actions that are repelling. Then you'll have a starting point.
See, we are all growing from glory to glory, as we continue to stay honest and transparent with God. We're not living for comfort, peace, and joy on earth, we're living to build treasures in heaven, we're living now for later in the presence of God.
So let God refine you so as you can reap the rewards that He has waiting for you!
