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ELUL 1

Examine Yourself

"For if we were to EXAMINE OURSELVES, we would not be judged.” (1Cor 11:31, emphasis mine)

 

We KNOW when we have deliberately done something wrong, something we should not have done.  It is unfortunate that too often we choose to ignore the voice of our conscience, and disregard the wrongdoing we have achieved.  The Ruach HaKodesh, the Spirit of Elohim, will convict us of what is right and truth; this is one of the functions of the Set-Apart Spirit (see John 16:8, 13 Amplified Bible Classic Edition).  It is, however, our own responsibility to test and examine ourselves; nowhere in the Word of Elohim is there such a thing as a “Ministry of Critique”, where we are called upon to examine anyone other than ourselves.  We are to look at our own lives (no one else’s), hold them up and compare them to the standard that is found within the pages of the Word, the Torah.  We are also to look closely at the life of Messiah Yeshua, the living Word, for He is our example in all things.

Am I - truthfully - lacking in some areas?  Am I successfully 'walking the talk'?  Has the Spirit of Elohim pointed out, through the Word and prayer, areas in my character and personality that need adjusting?  Is my lifestyle not, perhaps, giving honor to my Adonai, as much as it should, or could?

It is at this point where we will find it necessary to yield and surrender.  When we stop, and submit to our Master Yeshua in those rotten and corrupted areas of our lives, we have successfully examined and judged ourselves.  We then do teshuva, repent, and invite Him to perfect those things that concern us (see Ps 138:8). 

Discipleship and discipline walk hand in hand.  I cannot claim to be a disciple of Adonai Elohim if I am not willing to live a disciplined life of self-examination and scrutiny. It is such a simple thing to ask the set-apart Spirit to shine a light of illumination on any area of our lives that is not pleasing to our Creator, and then invite Him to help us change what needs to be changed.  Is this not what we desire: to become that person our Elohim desires to spend eternity with?

For these next 40 days, leading up to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), it is my hope that we can spend some time turning the spotlight inward, in examining ourselves, and doing some serious housecleaning.  Through it all, let us determine to come up to the next level, clean the crud off the glass, and reflect more of the light and love of our Creator.  Amein.

 

©2017 “An Internal Audit”, Mette Marx, p. 6