Examine Your Life

If there were ever a time that we need to examine our lives and make sure we are living for the Lord, one hundred percent; the time is now. As Christians, God calls us to a standard of living that supersedes the world’s way of doing things. Living a holy lifestyle is a non-negotiable option for those who claim to follow Christ. For this reason, we must renew our minds and examine our lives for areas of sin that we need to deal with. With the Holy Spirit’s assistance, we can fulfill God’s directives and carry out His Word. In 1 Peter 1:16, God gives clear directives on how we are to live our lives as Believers. He says, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Holiness is a vital part of our relationship with God for several reasons. First, holiness is essentially being of one mind with God. It is adopting a mind-set that agrees with the Lord regarding what He thinks is good and what He thinks is evil. It also involves carrying out the mind and will of God in our everyday lives. For example, if God says walking in fear is a sin, then we agree with God and do everything we can to eradicate fear from our lives. According to the Word, cultivating the love of God in our hearts and walking in love toward God and others is the way to flush fear out of our spirits. When we actively pursue God’s antidote to fear, we are being holy. Another example would be where tithing and giving offerings are concerned. If God says that ten percent of all our increase belongs to Him, then a holy attitude agrees with Him and gives financially toward the Kingdom of God through tithes and offerings. When we purpose in our hearts to be holy, we don’t make excuses as to why we can’t do what God has commanded. Instead, we choose to obey God and do what He tells us to do because we love and trust Him. The renewing of the mind is critical to being holy. Romans 12:1, 2 (The Message) clarifies the issue of mind renewal, “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” What a powerful scripture! The world system and its way of doing things only serves the purpose of dragging us down to its level of spiritual immaturity, which includes walking in the flesh and fulfilling our selfish desires. However, when we offer our lives to God as a sacrifice, meaning we replace doing our will with the desire to do His will, our lives will be transformed. Renewing our minds to the reality of holiness is the key to pleasing the Lord. As Christians, we must examine every detail of our lives and get God’s thoughts on those areas. We should ask the Lord to reveal to us any area of disobedience in our lives and to show us if we have overlooked things that need to be changed. When we judge our thoughts, motives, and actions according to the Word of God, and make the necessary adjustments, we keep ourselves from being judged by God. Self-examination should be an ongoing process in the life of every Believer. God wants us to experience the very best in life, and that happens when we are in the center of His will. First, search the Scriptures and discover what His will is when it comes to conduct and behavior and do what He instructs in those areas. When we align our lives with His standard, He can begin to reveal His plans and purposes for our lives on a personal level. Looking at our lives in light of God’s Word is probably the best thing we can do to ensure our relationship with Jesus Christ is thriving and growing. Start today so you can be everything He has called you to be on this earth.