Self-examination reveals character, weaknesses
“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” –Lamentations 3:40
As Holy Week approaches, making time and space for self-examination is important, but it is also hard. The truth is, making time to evaluate our motives, our thoughts and those hidden parts of our hearts forces us to deal with things we’d prefer to leave untouched by the Lord.
In my life, I use Scripture to guide me through this process.
One passage I often use is Micah 6:8: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
This verse forces me to consider the following questions:
Is my life marked by acting justly? Does my character reflect the power of the Lord in my life? Is my life marked by loving mercy? Do I seek to humble myself and put the interests of others ahead of my own?
Am I more concerned with being right or with being righteous? Is my life marked by a humble walk with God? Does the way I spend my time and money reflect what I say about God’s priority in my life?
Am I consistently willing to be obedient even when it costs me something? Am I willing to sacrifice good things in order to have God’s best for my life?
Another passage I often use for times of examination is Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Using these verses, we ask God to search us. As we do, we give Him the freedom to penetrate the walls of our sinful hearts and reveal the truth to us.
Second, we ask the Lord to do the following:
- Test us. This is an investigation to determine our essential character, our integrity.
- Know our anxious thoughts. We seek to know those we have not fully trusted to the Lord’s able care.
- See any offensive way. Recognizing that we don’t always see those parts of our lives that are sinful, we ask the Lord to reveal our offensive ways so that we might confess.
- Lead us. We affirm the Lord’s authority in our lives and lay down our own agenda and desires in order to follow Him.
This week, I pray that you will carve out significant time to allow the Lord to search your heart, to reveal the hidden things that are separating you from Him and to give you opportunity trust Him with the hurts and cares you have been holding to yourself.
Precious Father, thank You for Your grace. Give us awareness of our need for Your searchlight, and give us courage to act on what You reveal. Help us understand our need to examine ourselves and the freedom You give as we trust You to change us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
