It is important for us to examine ourselves from time to time. How do we fare in the faith? How do you relate to other believers? How do you address your wife? How do you address your husband? This is something I encourage you to do every now and again. 2 Corinthians 13:5 states, “Examine yourselves if you be in the faith – that is in Christ.”
Paul advises in Galatians 6:3-4, “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” The Greek word for examine here is dokîmázô, which means, according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, “‘to test, prove,’ with the expectation of approving.” It can also indicate “to discern” or “to distinguish,” suggesting proving whether a thing is worthy or not.
The Living Bible adds clarity to Galatians 6:4: “Let everyone be sure that he is doing his very best, for then he will have the personal satisfaction of work well done and won’t need to compare himself with someone else.” We realize it is unwise to compare ourselves with others (II Corinthians 10:12), but there is no need to compare ourselves with anyone else if we seek God’s help in making the inner secrets of our hearts plain to us through His Spirit! Then, we can work on changing what God reveals that He is concerned about in us.
In other words, if we sincerely, with our whole hearts, ask Almighty God to make us understand the depths of our beings, He is faithful to do it. It is then our responsibility to be prepared to repent fully of what God makes plain to us. This is an easy process to describe, but often hard to follow. Nevertheless, it is part of a continuing process in the life of any Christian who wishes to draw closer to God; it is our work. We are required to exert effort—sometimes a great deal of effort, even painful effort—to assure our entrance into God’s Kingdom (see, for instance, Philippians 2:12) We cannot leave this labour undone!
Matthew 18:1-4, “At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
People think that being great means that everybody knows you and they are talking about you. Jesus says here that you need to become like a child. You know most children are just so dependent and obedient. Until you humble yourself like the little child, you will be the least in the Kingdom. But the great one is the one that humbles himself. Don’t look for ways to justify disobedience and pride using the scriptures. Such people who do not humble themselves shut out themselves from The Secret Place wistfully.
