With maturity comes the ability to self reflect. Self reflecting is then followed by the ability to recognise where change is needed. Though we like to think we are mature and able to do this, how honest are you when it comes to self examining? Yeah you might be able to highlight areas where you need to improve like, ‘my time keeping is bad’ but are you able to see that you have a bad attitude or that you are untrustworthy. Yes it takes maturity to own up, but it requires even more maturity to be able to do a deep dive into ‘who am I?’
We want to live according to our own standards, but as followers of Christ we are to do this based on Gods standard. We are self deceptive and do not want to admit where we fall short but this reflects our relationship with God. To do this requires humility. At the end of the day we are all sinners living by Gods divine grace.
The bible should be our mirror and will show you where you fall short and the commands that God has for your life. God will reveal things to you that need to change. Self examining yourself is a biblical principle 2 Corinthians 13:5 Paul writes “examine yourself”. It literally means look carefully at yourself or ask yourself. A continual practice all believers should be doing. Is Christ truly in you?
We can also turn to the spiritual people around us and ask them where they believe we can mimic Christ more.
Doing this will align you with Gods word and draw you closer to God. Doing this will also project Christ in a better light.
Remember, this requires complete honesty otherwise we’ll just see ourselves as faultless. A part of living in the faith is to become more Christ like. We don’t want to be simply followers of the word but also doers of his word.
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
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!
Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.