Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5)
Regular spiritual assessment is an essential discipline to evaluate our spiritual health just as we do with our physical health.
We often assess our physical fitness by means of challenging ourselves to lift something heavy or push to go farther or faster. Our yearly health check includes a variety of tests to assess our physical wellbeing.
And we need to take remedial steps when we are alerted of any health issue through the medical assessment.
In like manner, the assessment of our spiritual health is an avenue for self-examination to gauge whether we fail the test as Paul’s cautioned believers in the second part of verse 5, “Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test”? (2 Corinthians 13:5b)
Here are some familiar and yet essential spiritual disciplines for our self-examination:
· Am I doing quiet time for reflection and self-examination?
· Am I spending time reading/studying God’s word regularly?
· What is my prayer life like?
· Am I bearing the fruit of the Spirit?
· Am I using my gifts and talents to serve God and others?
As we take the time to examine ourselves and answer these questions honestly, we can identify areas in our spiritual lives that remain stagnant, that have room for growth or areas we are strong at.
Just as we work to strengthen weak muscles in our bodies, we can work to strengthen our spiritual muscles through intentional practices and regular assessment of our spiritual standing with God.
May all of us have a fruitful assessment and recalibration of our spiritual life.
In Christ love,
Rev Daniel Lee
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