By Ben Shiller Jacob
The Exigency of Self-Assessment in a Christian’s Life
Self-assessment is a popular term in the health field. In other words, self-examination or judge oneself. Many of you who are health professionals already might know what it is. The term simply means to learn more about oneself, about what one likes and dislikes, and how a person reacts to certain circumstances and one’s opinion. You might think about what self-assessment has to do with our spiritual life.
Assessing ourselves on an everyday basis is inevitable. Because we are constantly changing whether knowingly or unknowingly. How do we change? The information around you. We’re bombarded with information every day some are new and some we knew already. We receive this information or knowledge through our five senses. We see and hear about things happening around us and the world and we process all these in our brains and we are being changed by information. That is why I said earlier, we’re constantly changing.
The understanding we have now was not the same one year or decades ago. Why? The world is maturing with its knowledge and so do we.
The Bible teaches us to give importance to doing the same-Self-examination.
Many things that are previously considered abominable and detestable have become normal and acceptable. You hear and see the same thing over and over and eventually our brain tends to consider them as normal though they were not. We become more complacent. The term complacency according to Merriam-Webster is marked by self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.
We tend to think that this topic we hear every day doesn’t seem to be strange anymore. Because we get used to it whether it is good or bad.
As christians, we must check what we perceive at our workplace, family, peer group, and public and how we interact with them every day. We are to check ourselves with the help of the Word of God.
When Paul writes to the Corinthians, he asks the Corinthians to evaluate themselves before participating in the Holy Communion. Let’s have a look at these verses:
‘For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.’
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 NKJV
Paul asks us to examine ourselves so that way we would not come under judgment. This means we have a responsibility to ensure we are in Christ and walking in the Spirit regardless of what we are being taught by society or the environment, making sure not to do anything that Jesus wouldn’t do. If we don’t examine or criticize ourselves, we will come under judgment along with the world. This is very important to understand that if we are careless about scrutinizing ourselves, we become complacent resulting in unfruitfulness. This causes God the Father to intervene in our wrongdoing if we are ignorant of it. Just like a father chastens his child. But if the child is aware of his mistakes and self-corrects, the father’s intervention is not needed. Verse 32 says if we don’t do our part, then the Lord does His part by chastening us so that we won’t be ashamed and condemned in front of the world. As children of God, we don’t need correction as it is painful at that time.
I should emphasize here about judgment from chastening. The judgment the world receive is entirely different from the chastisement we receive as children of God. How do these two terms differ from each other? Judgment happens in the court. There, God is Judge and does justice according to the law. He doesn’t show mercy as He is the law keeper. Here, we don’t see mercy, grace, or compassion at all. The Judge judges according to the law. If one breaks the law, he gets the appropriate punishment in public not in discreetly. But as children of God when comes to chastisement, the scenario changes. Here, chastisement or disciplining happens in the family where God is the Father, we are His children. We get disciplined when we make mistakes constantly to avoid doing the same mistakes in public. There is no shame or embarrassment that comes with this punishment as it shows mercy and grace.
In the second epistle written to the Corinthians, Paul says:
‘Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you are disqualified.’
2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV
Here Paul is warning the Corinthians (the church in Corinth) to examine themselves to confirm if they are walking in light and Spirit. The reason that compelled Paul to admonish the church was nothing but sin in their life.
Shiller’s Takeaway
As a believer, we have a huge responsibility towards God, the church, and unbelievers around us as we are so fortunate to be chosen and bought by His precious blood. So, we all need to walk circumspectly, knowing that any of our misconduct can possibly ruin the name of our Father and our fellow believers.
Anything that my Father wouldn’t want me to do, I WILL NOT DO! This shouldn’t be out of burden but in love. Because I experience His love, grace, mercy, patience, and presence every moment of my life. So, there is no way I can follow my fleshly desires forsaking the One who emptied Himself, endeavored my sin upon Him with joy, and took all my punishment which was meant for me and finally died on the cross becoming a curse. When I visualize all of these in my head, how could I ever go astray again.
Communion with a Contrite Heart
Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your scriptures which You have given to us to know You better and judge ourselves according to the Scriptures. Though we make mistakes daily, we pray that may Holy Spirit guide prompt us to quickly expose our sin to light. As we have fellowship with You daily, Christ will be manifested through us to the world in Jesus name we pray – AMEN!