2 Corinthians 13:5-9 TLB
Check up on yourselves. Are you really Christians? Do you pass the test? Do you feel Christ’s presence and power more and more within you? Or are you just pretending to be Christians when actually you aren’t at all?
[6] I hope you can agree that I have stood that test and truly belong to the Lord.
[7] I pray that you will live good lives, not because that will be a feather in our caps, proving that what we teach is right; no, for we want you to do right even if we ourselves are despised.
[8] Our responsibility is to encourage the right at all times, not to hope for evil.
[9] We are glad to be weak and despised if you are really strong. Our greatest wish and prayer is that you will become mature Christians.
Health checks are important to maintain good health and know when something is wrong and needs medical intervention. Health checks could be physical, mental and emotional examinations carried out to determine whether a person is suffering from any illness or injury. We all get health checks at intervals-monthly, quarterly or annually, all done to establish that nothing is out of sync. We even carry out health checks on cars to keep them running smoothly.
Everyone needs an occasional visit to the doctor for a check-up to make sure everything is working fine and that nothing is off internally.
Spiritual health checks are as important or even more than other checks, as we often miss clues that indicate that our spirit is not enjoying the good health that God created it for.
As creatures of habit, we tend to go through life on autopilot until it’s too late to deal with things that should have been dealt with earlier.
We may visit the doctor for health checks either by choice or by prompting from the doctor because of previous medical histories and to make sure that they give us the appropriate medication or treatment for any anomalies.
A spiritual health check is to evaluate ourselves, to prove we are still walking according to the expectations of the gospel and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith—try yourselves; pierce your hearts; try yourselves by what I have written and see whether you retain the true faith of the Gospel. Paul says to test ourselves as we would try gold or silver suspected of adulteration.
3 John 1:2 shows how important our health is to God, health in every area of our lives. This includes three particulars:
- Health of body.
- Health of soul; and
- health in secular affairs, called prosperity.
These three are so necessary for the comfort of life.
We must actively depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us in God’s ways, so we don’t get wrapped up in ourselves. If not, are we willing to confess to God that His ways are better than yours and that we need the Holy Spirit’s guidance to live above the fray?
Just as with physical and medical checks, we need to occasionally carry out a spiritual health check on ourselves to discover if we: Are still reading God’s word and standing in obedience to the word as seen in Joshua 1:8.
Still proclaiming the word in faith says Joshua 1:8.
Do we repent of sins immediately according to Isaiah 55:7?
Do we forgive offence quickly as instructed in Matthew 6:14-15?
Do we follow Proverbs 3:9’s instructions to honour God with our substance?
Aa Matthew 4:4invites, do we ask God for daily supply?
Would we keep praising God while in the storms as seen in Exodus 15:2?
Are we willing to allow God to choose what is best for us according to Jeremiah 29:11?
Our spiritual health check when done regularly and honestly will help us know to always do the right and Godly things. We have everything in the word of God to carry out our spiritual health check according to God’s standard.
Your spiritual health check should be updated regularly to align your path, plans and will to the Lord’s.
Shalom