* T. A. Hegre
Science asserts that there is a principle that all physical processes tend to become slower, colder, and gradually disordered. They call this the "Second Law of Thermodynamics".
No one needs to be a scientist to agree to this statement. It is enough to note that we can no longer run as we did before, we do not maintain the same measure of enthusiasm as we had before, and we can not remember facts as easily as we formerly remembered.
The "second law" is present in all aspects of our physical life. We know that there is a similar law in operation on the spiritual plane. "If we do not take action to prevent our lives from deteriorating, it will disintegrate."
Jesus says the same thing with the following words:
"For to every one that hath shall be given unto him, and shall have abundance; but he that hath not shall be taken away even of him that hath. "(Mt 25:29).
A cult that was once fervent tends to become cold and formal. An obedience that was once immediate, will begin to linger until it becomes disobedience. A testimony that once was sincere, tends to be stagnant.
If our spiritual life is left to chance, we can be sure that it will decline in every way. For this reason, it is necessary that we periodically examine ourselves under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Here are some suggestions that can guide us in this self-analysis.
Examine your conversion
Have you allowed your language to function unattended? Before, you were very wary of the way you talked to your wife. He avoided hurting her feelings. But in the last few days, are you talking the first thing that comes to your mind, regardless of whether your words will hurt her or not?
Have you reacted violently against other people's words? Have you given answers rough and half rough, when someone says something about you that is not very flattering? How have your words been when someone interrupts you in the middle of describing a project or program that you enjoy?
It is amazing how people take great care in choosing words when they are in a workplace, or when they are talking to someone they know little. If we could hear them when they get home and meet their loved ones, we would ask what caused the change.
Among strangers, we always say: "I would like to suggest ..." but at home: "put this dinner on the table soon, I'm in a hurry." In the office, we say, "Could you get me some coffee, please?" But at home, "Hey, get out of the way, so I can not watch the news." This carelessness in conversation will certainly be reflected in spiritual cooling.
Examine your regret
One of the prophets of the past once said the following: "Rend your heart, and not your garments ..." (Jl 2:13). And this order was well understood by the people of his time. At that time, tearing clothes was a very common way for a person to show that he was deeply sad, worried or distressed.
Unfortunately, according to the prophet's opinion, there was a lot of clothing ripping, but little regret. There was a lot of symbolic acting, but the attitudes she represented did not really exist. Recently, a person has drawn our attention to a classic example of this superficiality.
She said that one of our presidents, after making a public appeal to the Americans to dedicate a certain day to prayer and meditation, spent that day on a golf course. But let us examine ourselves. It is we who must carry out this self-evaluation. The question to ask is: "Is there any sin in my life, in the present, of which I have not yet repented?"
Examine Your Spiritual Growth
The best way to measure our spiritual commitment is to look back. So it's okay to do some self-analysis from time to time to see if we're growing up.
In general we feel that our life consists of stages. In the spiritual sphere, the first of these steps followed our experience of repentance and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. But surely, this should not be the last stage of spiritual development. Then came a time when we want other blessings than the forgiveness of sins.
We knew that we needed an inner purity that we had not yet experienced. In addition, we needed greater enthusiasm in our effort to win others to Christ. And that is how we probably went up another step and received Christ as our sanctifier, who filled us with his Holy Spirit.
But the problem begins when we let ourselves stay on one of those steps and do not move on. Are you growing or standing?
Examine Your Bible Study
Many people sometimes come to the altar after worship and reveal a spiritual lack, but they do not know how to define clearly what is wrong. So I ask you, have you read the Bible as before? And, in general, the answer is this: to be honest, I must confess that I do not.
A lady who had been a missionary in Korea for fifty years, visited a seminary one time. The director of the institution noted that many of his colleagues were going to consult with her and leave the room. So he went to talk to her, too.
As soon as the door closed, she asked him directly: How often are you reading the Bible? Taken by surprise, he replied: now, I am the director of this seminar! Understand one thing, she said. That's not what I asked. What I want to know is how often you are reading the Bible for the building up of your soul.
Half ashamed, he confessed that he rarely read the Scriptures for this purpose. The carelessness of the truth certainly makes us cool. And neglecting the study of the Bible is neglecting the truth.
Examine your fellowship with the brethren
There is so much out there that we consider communion and it really is not. It is very easy to be in the company of people, without really having fellowship with them. It is possible for a person to go to church, to hear the message and the songs, and to leave without having had a moment of communion.
It is also possible to have a calendar full of social activities, and an empty life of communion. Christian fellowship is a meeting of hearts and minds around issues that are shared peculiarly by Christians.
As human beings, we have many things in common with other Christians - and only with other Christians. One of them is our love for Jesus, and our gratitude for forgiveness and eternal life.
We are interested in the condition of lost humanity. We have this desire that Christ be revered in the eyes of others. We have experience of God's gifts and His grace. We have testimonies of victory over temptations.
Conversations about the conduct of children, the latest results of football matches, or the world crisis, do not constitute a true Christian communion. We can discuss this kind of subject with anyone. But they are not the common ground on which Christians are united.
Therefore, it is possible for a believer to talk all day about various subjects and at the end to leave without the slightest sense of edification. We were not built because we were cultivating friendship and not communion.
Check out what you've read lately
It is said that William Parker, the great preacher, very early in life made the decision to read only what could enable him to preach and teach the Word of God. He not only read a lot but selected what he read. Unfortunately, many do not even select.
Rarely can they remember when they last read something of value or of great importance. And yet, good books can transform lives! Bacon argued that "reading makes the man more complete." And poet Elizabeth Browing said, "Books are men of great stature." What have you read lately?
Examine your dependency links
One of the most important principles for victorious Christian living is that of increasing dependence. This means that every time we receive guidance from the Lord we should expect it to be unique.
God does not always give us the same guidance. With Moses, for example, once he had the rock struck. Later he ordered her to speak to her. So it is with us. But it is possible that we are cultivating certain false dependencies, which drain all our spiritual energy.
Perhaps we are confined to our current position regarding our economic security, rather than relying on Christ.
And in case we lose our job, we are confident in our own abilities, rather than in the Lord.
We may be feeling security in our bank account.
We can be trusted in our government.
For our spiritual growth, we may be too trusting in a good believing friend.
For Christian service in the future, we can be confident in our talent, rather than leaning on Christ and his divine gifts.
And in the basic decisions of life, we can be more confident in our intuitions and guesses than in the guidance of the Spirit.
All these things are false foundations. They are taking the place of God.
Examine your "thorns"
When the people of Israel took the land of Canaan, the Lord told them that if the Canaanites did not destroy them, they would become like thorns "in their sides" in order to lead them to seek God.
It is important that we recognize when a thorn is irritating us, and we react to his sting with an attitude of repentance. Many believers do not realize the thorns that remain in their lives as a result of incomplete consecration. Their tendency is to attribute that difficulty to Satan or to some natural cause.
Perhaps his pain manifests itself in restlessness ... and in the meantime, the thorn is an unconfessed sin, or a reluctance to face sin and to recognize it as such.
Perhaps the pain is weariness ... and the thorn, the fact of not wanting to ask for forgiveness, or an attitude of rebellion against certain circumstances that God allows in his life.
Maybe the pain is nervousness ... and the reason for it, the fact that you do not want to give up a bad habit, like allowing yourself fits of anger, or letting yourself sink into self-pity.
We must recognize the existence of this thorn and take whatever action is necessary, by its nature.
It may be that as soon as you start reading this article you have felt that it is cooling spiritually, but reluctant to examine your life, for fear of being depressed. But self-analysis is not meant to be an end in itself. It is only the first step, in the sense of obtaining forgiveness, and a new condition for receiving grace.
If you resolve to face all the things that are pulling you down, confess them to God and resolve to change, He will immediately forgive you and restore you.
"And being ready to punish all disobedience, once your submission is complete." (2 Cor. 10: 6)
And He will do even more: he will set before us another open door to obedience, so that we may, going forward, obtain greater peace, greater power, and greater spiritual progress.
* T. A. Hegre - Pastor and founder of the United States Evangelical Bethany Mission.
