In today’s fast paced era, it has become common practice for us to zoom in our focus on critiquing the choices and errors of others while overlooking the faults that exist within ourselves. As Christians, we sometimes believe that we have the privilege to cast judgment on others forgetting that the God we serve has commanded that we refrain from assuming the spiritual position of judge and jury on earth. No one likes pointing their fingers at themselves however, if we were to make that practice a daily habit, we would experience the benefits of introspection at its highest and the full appreciation of God’s grace.
Anyone who has had the privilege of going through a performance appraisal knows how nerve-wracking and sometimes “eye-rolling” that process can be. Performance appraisals are necessary for identifying one’s strengths, weaknesses and development needs in the workplace. It is not meant to be an exercise of condemnation but rather one of edification. If an appraisal is necessary for one’s guidance in the workplace, what makes you think that an appraisal would not be necessary for one’s spiritual walk with God. How do we expect God to measure our growth in the Spirit and lay out the areas in our lives that are weak, open to attack, or off-track? When God calls us into his kingdom and gives us an assignment of purpose on this earth, how does God communicate to us what spiritual performance indicators are necessary for our success.
Once we accept the call of salvation on our lives, we accept the residence of the Holy Spirit as both our Guide and our Boss. The same way in which we follow the job descriptions given to us in the workplace, is the same way in which we ought to subscribe to following the Word of God. One of the requirements of God however, in taking up his call on your life, is that of doing self-appraisals. These appraisals must be directed by the Holy Spirit not by our subjective biases. God, in his wisdom, knows that our human nature is self-deceptive as we usually believe ourselves to be more than we really are.
Every time we feel the urge to scrutinize others, God reminds us to scrutinize ourselves.
2 Corinthians 13:5 reads “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?”
Sometimes we pay so much attention observing and pointing out the weeds in other people’s gardens, that we forget our garden needs to be tended to. What happens to an unattended garden? It grows weeds. What happens when we leave our own introspection wanting? We leave room for the enemy to sow weeds among our wheats. In addition to this, we can become blind and oblivious to the fact that our good soil has lost its nutrients over time and needs replenishing.
The church must always be at the forefront of building both believers and unbelievers up in love not tearing them down. God has said to us in so many words “Mind your business” . In doing so, we can focus on cultivating our own gardens and leave God to be the just, gracious, redeeming and transforming God that He is.
Let us shift our gears inwardly and place priority on pleasing God in our words, thoughts and deeds. Let us be our brother’s keeper not his condemner while we cultivate the daily habit of self-appraising and run the race that God has called us to run both individually and collectively as his Church.
SCRIPTURES:
1 John 1:8 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
QUOTE: “Let a man fall under the delusion that he has arrived, and all progress is stopped until he has seen his error and forsaken it” – A.W. Tozer
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, teach us to examine ourselves with the scrutiny of your Holy Word. Help us to point our hearts to you daily in prayer and to refrain from judging others. Renew a right spirit within us and teach us to love, to forgive and to build up our fellow brothers and sisters. Amen!
