Examine - Highlands UMC

When we read Scripture, we are often drawn to those passages that inspire or comfort us. Worship and fellowship with sisters and brothers in Christ are also sources of inspiration and comfort. What wonderful gifts!

But there is much more to our Christian walk, our Scriptures, our fellowship, and our worship. Today’s Scripture readings challenge us, in different ways, to carefully examine the way we think and act, the way we speak, and the way we seek to follow Jesus. They push us to routinely ask questions of ourselves, such as:

	Are we remembering what we have been taught and learning from our experience?
	Do we ignore the wisdom that has been handed down to us?
	Do we listen to the teachings of the Bible that we know are good for us (or do we think we know better and do things our own way?)?
	Do we blindly believe what others say is the truth, or do we take the time to discern the truth of God?
	Are we careful about the way we speak and what we say?
	Do we realize the power of our tongue to shape what we think and believe.
	Do we realize the way what we say shapes other’s perception of us and Christ in us?
	Are we setting our minds on human things or on divine things?
	What does it mean to take up our cross and follow Jesus?

These are not easy questions to answer. These are not standards that we always like to live up to. Denying our own will and living into the will of God is not always our choice. But we must be disciplined to take a good hard look fin the mirror from time to time. Not just 20 years ago or 50 years ago when we gave our lives to Jesus and now we feel like were living pretty well. We must continually check ourselves, asking God to transform us into God’s ways, and away from our own desires, to God’s glory.

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