...let us press on to maturity...
(Hebrews 6:1 – NASB)
Now that I am 40 years old, I guess that gives me the right to ask a few questions of you, as well as give you insight into some questions I ask myself. Here are five questions that, when answered honestly, will provide a measure of your Christian maturity. Underneath each of the five questions are another set of five related questions in the "Do - What - Are - Is - Does" format to help with further reflection.
Two aspects of answering these questions:
1. What do you believe is the correct answer?
In other words, how are you supposed to do it?
2. How well are you accomplishing this?
In other words, how well are you doing it?
How Do You Respond to Truth?
Do you become offended, do you let truth convict and then change you, or do you become complacent? What action do you take? Are your responses tempered with pride or humility? Is your answer “What shall we do”, or “Stone him”? Does truth become a stumbling block or a stepping-stone?
How Do You Resist Temptation?
Do you leave the door open for sin? What methods do you use for avoiding being tempted – how can you expect God to help you resist if you aren’t really committed to it? Are you only going through the motions? Is God a real option in your battles? Does the sin in your life cause you to be an overcomer, or are you overcome?
How Do You React to Trials?
Do you react negatively, violently, get easily frustrated, or wonder why me? What do people see in you when the chips are down? Are you trying to control every contingency and situation – To try and control every situation is to be controlled by every situation! Is your life a testimony to patience? Does the idea of having to go through trials seem unnecessary, that you can grow without them?
How Do You Restrain the Tongue?
Do you always have to get “your two cents in”? What do people say about your temper? Are you a good listener? Is the spiritual discipline of practicing silence (not a mystical practice) in place in your life? Does it take a lot of effort to not correct or rebuke people, especially when you feel like you have a point to make, or when you see a sinner doing what is his nature, namely, sin?
How Do You Redeem the Time?
Do you put Christ and his Great Commission first? What is happening in your world outside the church? Are you always vacillating, never sure about anything or finishing the work you started out to do? Is the first thing you think about always yourself? Does the idea of becoming Christ-like turn into a sense of excitement for you – is Christ at the center of all that you do, and are you being conformed to His image?
Do you become offended, do you let truth convict and then change you, or do you become complacent? What action do you take? Are your responses tempered with pride or humility? Is your answer “What shall we do”, or “Stone him”? Does truth become a stumbling block or a stepping-stone?
How Do You Resist Temptation?
Do you leave the door open for sin? What methods do you use for avoiding being tempted – how can you expect God to help you resist if you aren’t really committed to it? Are you only going through the motions? Is God a real option in your battles? Does the sin in your life cause you to be an overcomer, or are you overcome?
How Do You React to Trials?
Do you react negatively, violently, get easily frustrated, or wonder why me? What do people see in you when the chips are down? Are you trying to control every contingency and situation – To try and control every situation is to be controlled by every situation! Is your life a testimony to patience? Does the idea of having to go through trials seem unnecessary, that you can grow without them?
How Do You Restrain the Tongue?
Do you always have to get “your two cents in”? What do people say about your temper? Are you a good listener? Is the spiritual discipline of practicing silence (not a mystical practice) in place in your life? Does it take a lot of effort to not correct or rebuke people, especially when you feel like you have a point to make, or when you see a sinner doing what is his nature, namely, sin?
How Do You Redeem the Time?
Do you put Christ and his Great Commission first? What is happening in your world outside the church? Are you always vacillating, never sure about anything or finishing the work you started out to do? Is the first thing you think about always yourself? Does the idea of becoming Christ-like turn into a sense of excitement for you – is Christ at the center of all that you do, and are you being conformed to His image?
4 comments:
Time's up...put down your pencils...answers due...
I'm delighted to report that I scored perfectly on all five counts. Can you believe it? Read all about it in my book: I'm So Humble. It's on sale now at a bookstore near you.
There is a "move" I have seen in the game of chess. One player decides that the situation is desperate enough, and, palms-up, flips the game over, sending pieces in every direction. He may or may not follow that up by quietly saying, "Oops." (I like the "oops.")
I have used your questions for reflection, but when I think about sharing the cold, naked truth with anyone other than say... a goldfish, the ultimate chess manoever of desperation seems like my only viable option.
I have a question for you. It's not completely unrelated. When should we confess our sins privately to the Lord, and when should we confess to another? And then, there's all the variations from one accountability partner or spouse to the Oprah show.
Though these questions of yours are a bit discomforting to me, they're worth pondering.
Oh, and in response to the birthday post, what a nice bunch of comments from Mrs. H. Keep on pointing people to Jesus, Bro.
Thank the Lord our personal level of sanctification is not the basis of our justification, amen....
Yeah, this one will make you humble...
Good post sir. I figure I should call you sir from now on out of respect for your age!
Anyway I'm glad that there is no score card attached to this blog.
Certainly does make you think. We should problably go over this as a check list about 12 times a day.
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