- Are you reading the Bible daily? Maybe you started the year with a reading plan and find that you have fallen behind or fallen out of the habit. Why not take time to catch up, adjust your plan, or create a new plan. Whatever your approach. Try to find a way to read a little of God's word every day.
- Are you praying daily? Are you praying regularly (1 Thessalonians 5:17)? Are you praying for your enemies (Matthew 5:44), for others (Ephesians 6:18-20), for believers to speak boldly the gospel (Colossians 4:3-4), for government and church leaders (1 Timothy 2:2)? Maybe take some time and thank the Lord for all He has done (Colossians 4:2).
- How often have you shared the gospel this year? Are you so humbled and amazed by the grace of God and His forgiveness that you can't help telling others about what Jesus Christ has done for you? Who are you praying for that does have a personal relationship with Jesus (Romans 10:1)? Maybe you can begin to pray and ask God to increase your burden for the lost through the remainder of the year (Romans 9:1-3).
- Are you faithfully fighting sin in your life? Honestly, are you experiencing victory over sin this year? Is there a certain sin that you continue to struggle with? What steps can you take to overcome? Who can you talk with that will bring accountability into your life?
- What scriptures have you memorized this year? Psalm 119:9 asks, "How a young man can keep his way pure?" The answer is to live according to the God's word. I love what the psalmist writes just a few verses later, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." I wonder if our struggle with sin is because we don't have the word of God seared in our hearts.
- Are you serving faithfully in a local church? Church is more than a place to attend. The church is a family of believers that are to minister to one another. Are you using your spiritual gifts as a member of a local body of believers (1 Corinthians 12:1-11). Are you supporting His work financially as well? Commit to spend yourself in God's church throughout the rest of 2016.
- Are you exhibiting the work of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-23)? Let's allow those verses to guide your self-evaluation: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like....But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Which traits most characterize your life today?
- Who is walking more with God because of your influence this year? Are you making disciples? Isn't this what Jesus commands us to at the end of Matthew's gospel (Matthew 28:18-20)? Who are you taking under your wing to disciple and teach the things of God?
- What steps have you taken to spread the gospel to the nations? We are called to be missionaries in our own community, globally, and everywhere else in between (Acts 1:8). What missionaries are you praying for? Are you seeking through prayer an opportunity to participate in a mission trip this year or next?
- How would your family assess you as a family member and a believer this year? Those who observe us daily are the most equipped to evaluate our spiritual walk. What would your family members say if asked about your walk with God?
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Six-Month Checkup
I came across a spiritual checkup written by Chuck Lawless not too long ago. It was written as a spiritual checkup for the halfway point during the year. I hope this list of questions will rekindle your walk with the Lord if you find yourself in a stagnate place. So many times we wait until the beginning of the year to make New Year's resolutions. What's wrong with making a resolution for the remainder of the year in July?
