Scripture: Psalm 139: 23


Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

The task of honestly facing ourselves in self-examination is often the hardest thing for us to do. We are all very prone to pass quickly over this point. We are quite happy to hear how God has set the ungodly in slippery places but we are not happy to be invited to take a look at ourselves and uncover the things within us that cause us to go astray.

It must be said, however, that two dangers arise whenever the question of self-examination is considered. One is over-emphasis and the other is under-emphasis. Some engage in too much and become unhealthy introspective, while others fail to look at themselves at all and thus live on the surface.

The important thing to remember is this- self- examination should always be carried out in the presence of God. If this is not adhered to, then the existence can become harmful and counter-productive.

There are many Christians who strongly oppose the idea of self- examination. They say: “The moment you see that you have sinned and then put your sin ‘under the blood’, you are all right. To stop and think about it is an indication that you are not spiritually healthy and that you lack faith”.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said: “The trouble with most of us is that we are too ‘healthy’ spiritually”. He meant by that we are much too glib and much too superficial.

Nothing is more characteristic of a true Christian than a willingness to examine himself.

Prayer: Lord, search my heart and help me change to conform to Your likeness. Scriptural Reading: Psalms 139:17-24

Keeps track of your thoughts is not the best thing you can do yourself, especially if you are classifying them as poor, more than good. You can just go through a phase where you understand more, and the need to question what you should and should not do, what is healthy.