Looking in the Mirror
We are continuing to explore the principle first looked at
last week: Reserve a daily time with God
for bible study, prayer and self-examination.
It is good to keep in mind why we do this. To simply have a list of daily activities
without reason or focus has some value, but it is very easy to develop a
pattern of ‘doing’ which simply becomes habit or compulsion without significant
underlying benefit.
Let’s review the foundational Bible verse for this current
series: “The thief comes only to steal,
kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the
full.” (John 10:10) We are exploring God’s principles for
abundant living, for a full and satisfying life here and now, not just in
heaven after we die. And this is what we
need to remember when are working this principle. Daily bible study, prayer and
self-examination leads us to grow closer to God, learn His will for our lives
and to gain the power to follow His will.
It is being more fully in the presence of God and walking in His will
that we gain true freedom for abundant life here and now!
Matthew 22:37-40 makes it clear that God wants us to
continually grow in our relationship with Him and with others: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your
heart…soul and ...mind.’ This is the
first commandment. And the second is
like it: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets
hang on these two commandments.” How do
you know you are following this command?
The only way to know is to reflect on your behavior, motives and the
state of your heart on a daily basis. We
should all take a look in the mirror each day – the mirror of self reflection,
sometimes called inventory, by which we examine our heart and actions in all
areas of our lives. Taking an honest
look at ourselves each day keeps us living in reality, not denial. It prompts us to makes amends
immediately. And it will help us
determine if we lived in God’s will today and if we are willing to do so
tomorrow.
Stay in Reality
James 1:23-25 says,
“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man
observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and
immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it,
and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed
in what he does.” This is a call to
continually be aware of the reality of our life – what we feel, think and do as
well as the motives which prompt our actions.
We have been working very hard to step out of denial in
certain areas of our lives. It is a
natural tendency to slip back into that denial, especially during hard
times. Taking a daily look at those areas
of our lives will help us stay on course.
But we also want to continuously strive to see reality in other areas of
our lives. Staying open to what God is
doing in those areas of your life and honestly evaluating yourself will enable you
to walk in greater freedom.
Each of us needs to determine the strategy that works best
for us. But most likely we will have
elements of all of the following self-examination time frames:
Immediate. The best
bet, whenever possible, is to handle the situation immediately. For example, you may be convicted of an
unkind word or action. Deal with it then
and there. Don’t wait. Make amends as soon as possible. If you cannot deal with the entire situation
then, tell Jesus you acknowledge your action and are willing to make things
right, and then come back to it at a later time. The same concept applies to a kind word or
action toward someone. Thank Jesus then
and there for enabling you to carry out his command to love others.
Daily. Either at the
end of the day or the beginning of the next day, review the day’s thoughts,
feelings and actions. Take note of what
you need to change. But also take note
of your accomplishments and the good that you did. I have a tendency to remember the bad more
than the good. Make a point to
acknowledge the good you did that day – there will be at least one thing each
day!
Weekly/Bi-Weekly. Take
time one day a week to evaluate the past week and plan for the next one. Acknowledge and deal with any actions that
you were not able to address immediately or in your daily examination. Determine if you are still on course to
accomplish the goals you set. If you
have drifted off-course, there is still plenty of time to get back on
track. The advantage of diligently
reviewing your progress in this short time frame is that you will never get too
far off course.
Monthly/Quarterly.
Use this time period to conduct a more in-depth review of your goals,
your progress and your behavior. Perhaps
you will adjust a goal or develop a plan to tackle a hurt, habit or behavior
that you now recognize is hindering a full life. This is also a great time to look at your
growth and the positive change that has occurred in your life. This is an opportunity to take a
mini-retreat. Go someplace with no
interruptions - just you and God. Find a
place free of distractions so that you can more clearly hear His small, still
voice.
The main point here is to not stop. It would be great if we could immediately
change our behavior or character and not think about it again. But this is an ongoing process. Like being on an escalator, if you are not
moving forward, you are moving backward.
We need immediate, daily and periodic ‘looks in the mirror’ to make sure
we are moving forward. Mark 14:38 tell us to “Watch and pray
that you will not fall into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Taking a good, continual look in the mirror
helps us resist temptation as it arises.
What to Examine?
When we studied inventories, we discussed many different
types. They all apply to this principle
as well. But, take heart! Daily inventory is not going to be as
in-depth as inventory of specific areas of your life. It is going to focus on the feelings,
actions, thoughts and attitudes of the day.
Depending on your activities of the day, it can cover a multitude of
relationships: God, family, friends,
co-workers, neighbors and strangers. It
can also cover spiritual, physical, mental and emotional states.
Focus on the events of the day. You can, however, use your more comprehensive
inventory as a guide. Keep in mind those
areas that you identified as needing work.
Also keep in mind those areas where you are already acting rightly and
justly. Most likely, those areas will
come up frequently. After all, our lives
are much more, and much less, than our circumstances. Bad attitudes, for instance, will appear in almost
all of your circumstances, not just some.
Thanksgiving
Though we are self-examining, it does not mean that God is
left out! We are, of course, using His
Word as our guide, but we need to acknowledge him in all we discover. For all the positive change – thank Him. For difficulties and struggles – thank Him
that He will never leave your side. For
temptations and temporary defeats – request and then thank Him for His forgiveness. We will explore gratitude more fully in the
coming weeks, but for now, practice gratitude in all your ways.
Pay Attention!
Consistent self-examination helps us pay attention to
ourselves. This is especially helpful
for those struggling with co-dependency.
If you tend to look out for others and always put yourself last, this
will help you put some focus back on yourself.
Are there struggles you seem to consistently encounter, continual
negative feelings or harmful behaviors?
We need to spend some time focusing on ourselves so that we can identify
those areas that hinder us. As we heal
from those hurts, habits and hang-ups, we then become free to truly love and
help those around us.
It is also very important to see patterns of goodness, kindness
and love in yourself. We all have them
and you do, too. Be sure to track the
acts of selflessness you perform and the attitudes of respect and honor that
you give to others.
Stretch!
Regular self-examination will help us continue to grow into the
best we can be. The goal is not just to
overcome a particular behavior and then forget about it. Even ‘right’ behaviors can become
ritualistic, with all the passion and zeal for Jesus gone. Abundant living is not just maintaining a
certain behavior and then doing the ‘tiptoe’ to make sure we don’t awaken the
beast again! It is about conquering –
victory! It is about facing with
boldness every situation that comes our way and courageously looking inside as
well.
This principle can help us attain real and lasting
change. We will move from a reactive
mode a proactive mode, continuously allowing God to refine us.
In John 8:31-32, Jesus says, ‘If you hold onto my teaching,
you are really my disciples. Then you
will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ As we follow God’s principles of
self-evaluation and correction, we are disciples, followers of Jesus. His ways, which are truth, also reveal truth to
us and work truth into our lives. Then
we are set free for abundant life. Start
that life today by taking a look inside and walking into His freedom.
Group Work
- Do you
address issues and celebrate victories immediately? If yes, how has this benefited you? If no, how has this harmed you?
- Discuss
the other time frames of self-examination and their benefits: (1) daily (2) weekly and bi-weekly and
(3) monthly or quarterly.
- Share
a behavior or attitude that you need to start examining more regularly or
that you currently do examine regularly.
- What
changes do you plan to implement as a result of this talk and discussion
time?
