Taking Inventory

I believe it is important for every Christian to stop and take stock every now and then. It is so easy for us to be caught up in the cares of this world. We all have families, households to maintain, jobs, various relationships, fun (and sometimes not so fun) pursuits and a variety of obligations. Where does our relationship with God fit into all of that?

This thought caused me to develop a series of questions for myself that might also be beneficial to you:

• What grade do I give my personal relationship with God? Jn 21:15
• Is that grade higher or lower than the one I'd give myself for my relationship with my wife, kids, family and friends? Matt 10:37
• How much dedicated time do I spend alone with God or specifically doing his work? Matt 6:6, 10:38
• What efforts can I point to that would cause me to grow closer to Him and thereby cause Him to draw closer to me? James 4:8
• Is God pleased with what He sees in me? Matt 25:31-46
• Do I understand who God is? Gen 1:1, Rev 1:8, Gal 4:5,6
• Do I understand what that means? John 3:16, Matt 6:33, 7:7-9
• Do I really understand what he expects of me? 1 John 5:3, Matt 22:37,38
• Can my commitment be seen in my actions, how I allocate my time, resources and how I prioritize, whether someone is looking or not? Rom 12:1,2
• Do I honor my commitments? Matt 5:37
• Is my study of His word sufficient? Acts 17:11
• Is my prayer life sufficient? Eph 6:18
• Am I at least attempting to live a truly righteous life? 2 Tim 2:22
• Am I exemplifying the life and teachings of Christ? John 13:34 Phi 2:3

This is by no means an exhaustive list. I could come up with questions to ask myself all day and well into the night. It is not the questions that concern me, but the answers. You see brothers and sisters, we must all learn to be honest with ourselves in all things, but particularly as it relates to our relationship with our God. Let us not be like the person who observes himself in the mirror and turns away, forgetting what he saw (James 1:23,24). In our heart of hearts, we know. What it is important to know is that God does too (Heb 4:13).

It is only when we truly come to grips with where we are on the journey toward spiritual maturity, that we can make the necessary course adjustments to reach our destination (Phi 4:13,14). It is sure that we will arrive somewhere but will it ultimately be where we desire?

Without each of us performing a regular spiritual inventory and making adjustments where needed, we will never be able to live up to the responsibilities given to us, nor realize the privileges we have in Jesus. To do anything less contributes to spiritual apathy, complacency and ultimately, may God forbid, our own destruction.

If we at the O'Fallon congregation are to fully embrace our mission of Adoring God, Building Up the Saints and Creating Disciples, it must start with each individual.

Have you taken inventory today?

Each One Reach One

Each One Teach One