Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
(1 Cor. 11:28)
Recently, our youngest, Sarah, came down with both pneumonia and the flu at the same time. It was not a pleasant week for her or us. However, after she began looking and feeling like herself again, we took her back to our doctor for a follow-up exam and she told them almost immediately, “I’m better!” As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned the value of not only the annual exams I have with my own physician, but also the need for me to do my own self-examinations between appointments.
Paul suggested that just as we examine ourselves physically in the mirror each morning before we leave for the day, we should equally, also examine our own hearts before we partake of the Lord’s Table. As we are honest about what we see, the next step is to confess any sin, and seek forgiveness and accountability.
I’ve found that one of the invaluable character traits of any person is a deep level of self-awareness. Whether it is an honest assessment of what bothers us, drains us, or is life-giving to us, consistently examining our own heart helps us to be healthier human beings and better disciple-makers. How often do you take a look at your heart? What have you found when you examine yourself well?
Develop a personal and consistent rhythm of self-examination.
Santes Beatty is the multiethnic multiplication catalyst for The Wesleyan Church and campus pastor of Mosaic Midtown Church in Detroit, Michigan.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
