Examine Yourself
When was the last time you really examined your spiritual life?
Verse of the Day
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.”
Today’s Devotional
Socrates said that an unexamined life is not worth living. Have you ever wondered why he said that? And what does today’s Bible verse mean?
Well, what is the purpose of a test? A test is a way to see what you know and where you are. In school, a teacher gives a test to see if the students have mastered a certain section of subject matter. And what is the purpose of examining anything? An honest examination is a valuable tool to see what is working and what needs work.
But how often do we go through the days, weeks, months, and years and never take the time to stop and really examine our spiritual life and journey. We are instructed in First Corinthians 11:28 to examine ourselves before we take communion so that we do not come to the Table of the Lord in an unworthy manner. Maybe we need to make a spiritual self-examination a part of our life, so that nothing we do in our relationship with the Lord is done in an unworthy manner. Maybe we look at this exercise as a way for God to help us to see things we do not normally take the time to look at.
Today, I encourage you to set aside a little extra time to take an honest look at where you are spiritually. Have a pen and paper ready. And PLEASE…pray to ask God to help you to see whatever you need to see, for help to be really honest – both with your God-directed growth and in the areas that need your attention.
Here goes. This is a way to obey the Word and examine yourself to see where you are in your faith.
- Where do I stand in my relationship with God right now? What’s great and what needs some attention?
- Have I been slipping in prioritizing spending time with God?
- How am I doing at removing distractions when I am reading my Bible, praying, journaling, and/or meditating?
- When was the last time I learned or practiced a new spiritual discipline?
- How have I been giving my all to God recently?
- Are there any ways or areas I have been withholding from God?
- How am I doing with honoring God with my words?
- How often am I telling God what I’m grateful for?
- How confident am I in my God-given identity?
- How am I using my God-given talents for the glory of God and the good of others?
- In what ways have I yielded to God’s direction? In what ways have I not?
- What was the last thing God asked/instructed me to do? Have I done it?
- Are there offenses, anger, or resentment toward others that I am holding on to?
- How am I doing with letting go of my opinions of others (while also keeping them to myself)?
- Have I learned anything new from the Bible recently?
- How have I been pursuing peace and unity with the people in my life?
- Am I more or less active in my prayer life than I was last year at this time?
- When I am struggling, is my first instinct to go to God for guidance, wisdom and instruction? If it’s not, where am I going first?
- Do I tend to try to fix life’s problems on my own? Do I try to fix other people’s problems?
- When I am feeling anxious, do I give it to God and then thank Him?
- Have I been practicing speaking God’s truth over myself?
- Do I talk to Jesus often and like a friend?
- When I talk to God, am I holding back or am I being myself when I talk to Him?
- Is there a person that God has been bringing to my mind frequently that I haven’t done anything about?
- (If you keep a journal, read something you wrote from a year ago.) Do I see any spiritual growth?
- Are there any lies that I am still wrestling with or still believing?
- In what ways do I think God is working on me to make me more like Jesus?
- Do I have a spiritual mentor? If yes, is it a fruitful mentoring relationship? If no, why not?
- Am I an active member of a community of believers? Am I serving in this community?
- What would it look like if I truly believed everything that God has said?
- Am I praying for others as much or more than I pray for myself?
- Is there any step of obedience God has called me to that I’m avoiding?
- What is my “next step” in my spiritual journey?