2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
There are all kinds of tests in life. We have tests at school to see if we’ve adequately learned the material presented in a given class. We have driving tests to see if we meet the qualifications and skills necessary to receive a permit or a license to drive. We may have tests at work. Tests tell us if we’ve met the criteria necessary to perform a certain skill. Paul tells the Corinthians to test their faith. How do we test our faith? That’s a good question.
When I read the words “examine yourselves,” I think back to Psalm 139:23 which says: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” We have to be open and honest with ourselves when we consider where we are at currently in our walk with God and where we have come from. We may not be where we want to be in life, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t made progress toward the goal. Examining our hearts, asking if we truly know that Christ lives within us, looking back to see where we used to be can all give us an answer as to whether or not we are making progress in our walk with God.
Paul challenges us to examine ourselves. To test our faith. If we pass the test, we know that Christ is inside of us. If we don’t pass the test, then we know exactly what to change in order to pass the test the next time. It’s a constant journey to get closer and closer to the person that God created us to be and the person that Christ redeemed us to be in Him.
Father, I thank you that you created me for a purpose. I thank you that you sent your son to redeem me out of the kingdom of darkness and into the Kingdom of your Son so that I could fulfill the purpose that you created me for. I thank you that you have given me a path to follow to get closer and closer to you. Search me, God. Show me any areas where I am still lacking and help me to change those areas to come into agreement with who you say I am. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
A Beautiful Mess 