EXAMINE YOURSELF

One of the glorious activities that every believer should be engaged in from time to time, if not, daily, is to examine him/herself.

During my secondary school days the most rare thing we did was go to the laboratory. If my memory serves me right, we did it at least twice or three times a month. It was such a lovely occasion to enter the lab and carry out some experiments. As was the routine, the Lab Technician would always go through the house keeping ruling, particularly not to examine or test with taste. I enjoyed putting objects under a microscope and examine them. We would test for oxygen, hydrogen and the famous titration. I remember once we spent a good time examining a chicken’s feather in preparation for the grade 12 final exams.

How often do you examine yourself? Rarely do we believers nowadays spend quality time putting ourselves under the microscope of the Scriptures and examine ourselves. We wake up every morning as though life is in our hands, and all that it has to offer we deserve it. While living in full view of the Lord, yet we operate as though the Lord was out of sight. We sin and walk the path of deception and yet do nothing about it. When the day is done we fall on our beds like tree trunks and snore our way to the following morning.

It is only when disaster strikes; death, accidents, theft, and many other pains of life that we get jacked again to seriously go before the Lord and also examine ourselves. This need not be the case with those who are called by His name.

Paul speaking to the church at Corinth in 1 Cor 11:28 says “But let a man examine himself,” in this text, he deals with the manner in which the believer participates in the breaking of bread (communion). It seems that the Corinthians had developed a bad habit of taking the Lord’s Supper lightly or in vain. It had become a time of feasting like they did in their old religion as Greeks. Paul takes time to correct them by instructing them to seriously and critically examine themselves. To judge whether they have really understood the work of Christ for them and that they are in right standing to participate in the breaking of bread. Observe that this is not a collective activity but an individual responsibility.

For that reason, consider the need to examine yourself not only for the sake of the Lord’s Supper but for your daily walk with the Lord as well. It’s to judge yourself before the Lord Judges you. While it is still day, take to the Lord everything you find unrighteous or not worthy in your life. Daily examine yourself whether you understand the immense work of Christ that He did for you on the Cross and redeemed you. That your citizenship in heaven is set forth in Christ; that you are a friend of God because Christ died. In light of this, examine your spirituality daily; is my walk in order and worthy of my calling; am I a living testimony of Christ who lives in me; do I live for Him daily or for self.

Like a microscope exposes hidden information so does self-examination by the Holy Spirit enlightens you of yourself. Do this daily and your ways with the Lord will be well established. Self-examination is indeed very Christian and pleases the Lord!