You know that feeling when you pull into the emissions station hoping your check engine light stays off? You are sitting there, quietly praying, because if that light is on, you are not getting your tag renewed. They will send you home with 30 days to figure it out and come back.
Here is the thing about that light, though. It is not telling you there is definitely a problem. It is telling you to check, just in case. Sometimes it is nothing more than a faulty wire. Sometimes it is something that genuinely needs attention. Either way, the light is there for a reason, and the worst thing you can do is ignore it and keep driving.
That is exactly what we want to do together today. We are going to get under the hood of your spiritual life.
We go to the doctor for annual checkups. We sit in the dentist chair twice a year even when nothing hurts. We do those things because staying healthy requires more than just waiting until something breaks. Spiritual health works the same way. From time to time, we need to stop, examine ourselves honestly, and let God examine our hearts too.
This is not about guilt. It is not about sitting in condemnation. It is about being real with yourself, because if you are going to deceive anyone, you do not want it to be you. Do not go through this and just say everything is fine when God might be saying, no, let us actually look at this a little more carefully.
So let us get into it.
- Do I love God with all of my heart soul and mind?
- 2. How is my personal relationship with God?
- A) Do I have a growing desire to spend more time with God? Am I spending appropriate time praying, reading and meditating on the Word?
- B) Am I growing in my desire to obey and please God? Do I obey out of gratitude for God’s love? Or from guilt or fear?
- C) Have I fully surrendered to the Holy Spirit? Do I ask God to fill me each day with the Holy Spirit?
- D) Are there areas I am holding back from God? Which ones? Why?
- E) Am I more aware of the sins in my life? Do I repent on a daily basis and receive forgiveness and cleansing from God? Have I fully, truthfully repented of all past and current sins?
- Am I actively serving God?
- A) Am I volunteering at church?
- B) Am I praying regularly for the pastor, staff, missionaries and volunteers?
- C) Am I seeking to make others feel welcome in my church?
- D) Am I doing my job with excellence? E) Am I reaching out to those around me?
- F) Am I praying for my work colleagues and people in my neighborhood?
- Am I growing in my desire and actions to give sacrificially to God’s work in the church, in caring for the poor, and in other ministries? Am I teaching my children about sacrificial giving and putting God before materialistic desires?
- Am I living in humility before God, my family, friends and co-workers?
- Is there evidence of grace growing in my life? Do I thank God every day for his love, grace and mercy and saving me from what I deserve?
- Am I seeing evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in my life (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control)?
- Am I learning to see others through the mind of Christ? Am I treating others with the same grace God has shown me?
- Do I love my neighbor?
- Am I loving my family as I should? A) Husbands, are you loving your wives? How, specifically?
- B) Wives, are you respecting your husbands? How, specifically?
- C) Parents — are we teaching our children the Bible, how to pray, and how to please God?
- D) Children, are you honoring your parents? How, specifically?
- E) Am I managing my time in a way that reflects God’s priorities and honors my family relationships? What specific changes are needed?
- F) Are there any outside influences that are harming my family relationships? If so, what will I do about them?
- Am I forgiving others? Is there anyone among my family, friends, neighbors or co-workers that I refuse to forgive? Do I fully trust that God has forgiven my sins?
- Am I growing in fellowship with other believers?
- A) Am I part of a small group? Is it making a difference in the lives of participants?
- B) Do I have a godly mentor to help me grow in my walk with Christ?
- C) Am I mentoring/discipling a newer believer?
- Have I personally witnessed to anyone in the past year? In my neighborhood? In my workplace? Am I prepared to share my testimony? To share the Gospel?
- A) Am I fervently praying for and planning opportunities to witness in this coming year?
- B) Am I being salt and light in my neighborhood, workplace and social groups? How, specifically?
- Am I focusing part of my time and money to help the poor and disadvantaged? Am I teaching my children about the importance of helping the poor? How? Jesus says that if we love Him, we will obey Him (Jn. 14.15), and He calls us to grow in grace and love.
What is your plan for growing in these areas over the next month?
The check engine light is not your enemy. It is doing you a favor. It is telling you something is worth looking at, and looking at it now is far better than breaking down on the side of the road later.
Pick one or two areas where you know your light has been on. Ask God to show you what needs attention. Talk to someone you trust. Make a specific plan for the next month. Spiritual health does not happen automatically. It is cultivated, tended, and chosen.
The good news is that whatever the light reveals, you are not on your own. There is a God who already knows what is under your hood, loves you anyway, and is more than able to do the work.
Come Worship with Us at New Vision Church in Fayetteville, GA
We would love to walk through these questions alongside you. New Vision Church gathers every Sunday at 9:45 AM at 479 Inman Road in Fayetteville, GA. We also host special events at 193 Johnson Avenue. Come as you are. Honest questions are always welcome here.