Spiritual Inventory- 6 Questions YOU NEED to Ask Yourself

Does Your Spiritual Life 

Need A Tune Up? 

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A tough question only you can answer and you most definitely can't fake your way through it. The truth is the truth no matter how we try to dress it up.
 

Recently I took spiritual inventory by asking myself these questions and I REALLY did NOT like what my answers revealed.  

My family depends on me, my children look up to me, my husband needs me to lift him up after a long day of working hard providing for his family, & after all this giving and giving if I haven't fueled up my spirit man... 

  

Can I REALLY wonder why 

everything else in 

my life is falling apart?

1.) Do You Read the Bible daily? 

One of the most definitive ways we hear His voice is through His word, how can we have clear communication if we don't HAVE any communication?  
When we allow ourselves to become immersed in His word we get the distinct privilege to know the God in whom we serve and in turn we learn more about ourselves .

John 10:14 ¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—..."

2.) How is Your Prayer Life?  
I love how it feels when I get to talk to my husband, when we have a meaningful, deep conversation.  

• I am refueled, 
• it allows us to bond together in a deeper level, and  
• it inspires me to give more to him and our children...

How much more then does conversations with our heavenly Father refuel us, give us a deeper understanding of His ways, allows us to bond to Him, inspire us to give more not only to our family, but our community, our employers, ect... ?

Daily prayer also protects us from going astray- it builds up our spirit-man.

  

^{Jude 1:19 "}...These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.²⁰ But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit..."

3.) How Sharp Are You?
As it is with most families with small children, there are times we don't make it to church or any gatherings with members of the Body for a number of weeks. When that happens I can tell my "edges" are getting "dull"&  I start to feel disconnected.

People are messy and relationships can get even messier, so I hate to admit it, but once things start to get messy I tend to withdrawal with the intention of "self-preservation." In doing so though, I end up on an island of myself and not only hurting myself but those around me.  

It isn't an easy process to be sharpened, we loose pieces of ourselves that didn't really help us in the first place, sometimes it hurts- yet it ALWAYS is for our benefit.

Iron cannot sharpen itself. 

Together 

we make ourselves sharper.

When we allow Christ to be the center of our relationships we can:

• see through all the mess and 
• see the root of the issues.

  
Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."

4.) How Is Your Thought-Life? 
When I find myself:

• going over and over the same things, 
• past hurts, 
• miscommunication I might have had recently, 
• thoughts that are just not beneficial to myself, my walk, my family, or just about anything...

I know it's time to RENEW my mind. 

Because if I don't- sin will abound,  

ALL sin begins with a thought, 

think about it enough and  

it will become a part of you, 

Once it's apart of you, it will then become an action...

It is a conscience decision to hold that thought captive, and make it obedient to Christ. I use the word as my standard, by "frisking" that thought with Philippians 4:8 {My family will often say, "Time to Philippians 4:8 it."}

I will ask myself- "Is this thought;  

• Nobel, True, Holy, Righteous, 
• Pure, Praiseworthy, Lovely, Admirable, or Excellent?" 

If not- I hold it accountable to these standards 

& THEN

I CAN NOT invite it into my life.

^{Romans 12:2 "}Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
   

5.) What Kind of Fruit are You Bearing?
Fruits trees will bear fruit with seeds according to their kind. I see this as the universal truth of reaping and sowing. We are the tree, our life is the fruit, and the seeds are anything our life touches. Look around what state is your life in, your family, your work place, your friendships.

The Word gives us a standard we can hold our lives up, we can look around and recalibratete if necessary by simply checking our conversations and the fruit of those conversations.
 
Galatians 5:22-23"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control..."

6.) Are YOU Abusing Freedom?
The Freedom we have in Christ, is the Grace that allows us to stand before a Holy God a be blameless. It is a coat we wear, a covering-not of our own doing, but a gift that came by GREAT cost to our Redeemer. 

In that freedom have we used it to indulge in:

• Conversations we shouldn't havew
• Watch shows that have no redeeming value,
• Be a part of a relationship that revolves around sins of the flesh...?

I am not talking about becoming

ultra religious and Pharisee'ish,

however there are times we must 

ask ourselves have we used the freedom in Christ, to 

 Further his Kingdom 

OR  

Further our own?

 Galatians 5: 13 "...my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh..."

We would LOVE comments from you and how this post has affected your life. 


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