Self Examination is Crucial

"The devil doesn't come to you
 with his red face and horns,

he comes to you disguised
 as everything you ever wanted."

Such a powerful quote, wouldn't you agree?

I saw this online the other day and it made me think about our sins and weaknesses and how at times how we allow them to grow without putting them into check. 

It can be anything in our lives that we allow before God.

For some it might be:

-popularity

-praise from man

-the pursuit of money and materialism

- getting things done our way

- power or influence

-putting ourselves and our desires first

You name it--so many times what our desires, even with good or noble intentions,  can be the very thing that leads us away from God. 

Are you being led away from God?

The Bible talks about self examination. How critical this is to a Christian to make sure he is on the right path and being careful to not sway left or right. 

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!  -2 Cor 13:5

Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 1 Cor 11:28-32

For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. Galatians 6:3-5

Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!  Lamentations 3:40

Is there something in your life that you are not laying down to the Lord? 

Is it something that has gone out of control?

Is it something that you have a hard time letting go of?

Return back to Him and forsake the old sinful ways of the flesh. 

JC Ryle said this about self-examination:


"One thing essential to growth in grace is diligence int he use of private means of grace. By these I understand such means as  a man must use by himself alone, and no one can use for him. I include under this head private prayer, private reading of the Scriptures, and private meditation and self-examination. The man who does not take pains about these three things must never expect to grow. Here are the roots of true Christianity. Wrong here, and a man is wrong all the way through." 

Friends,  do not allow Satan to get a foothold!