Taking Inventory Pt 1

#christianity #discipleship #mentorship #leadership #inspiration #dailyliving #bible #theology #scripture #selfevaluation #inventory #growth #direction #convictions #personalconvictions #spiritualdisciplines

When asked through frustration and tears why he kept making the same mistakes over and over again, an AA sponsor replied to his sponsee, "Well, it's pretty tough to see the picture when you're inside the frame."

Sure, it may sound folksy, charming, and clever, and even provoke you to a chuckle, but isn't it deceptively deep, and absolutely true!?

I believe that each one of us, that is, each one of us who has any capacity to be honest with ourselves whatsoever, has a natural and pervasive knowing in the depths of our soul that we can't see the full scope of the truth about ourselves. And, our knowledge, vision, and insight, however learned and even perhaps advanced, is at least at times, woefully limited, and inadequate to the task when it comes to getting a clear and objective view of ourselves, fully knowing our defects and strengths, and getting the answers concerning them that we crave.

Yes, even as far back as we can go in recorded history, whether it be Biblical history or otherwise, the wisest and smartest among us have pondered these questions; "Why can't I get all of the answers I need to solve my own internal problems, and how in the world do I go about getting them?"

We need look no further than the Bible, and in particular the book of Lamentations, (3:40,) which states, "Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to The Lord." Clearly a call to reflect on our way of being, thinking, and acting, if there ever was one.

Even Socrates, as Plato's "Apology" tells us, at his trial in Athens when accused of not believing in The Gods of Greece, and corrupting the youth of his day, stood for his convictions in the face of the bleakest of ultimatums, and literally chose death over exile, which was to him a worse alternative, considering it would prevent him from continuing to engage in his philosophical work, teaching, and discovery.

"The unexamined life isn't worth living," he famously said. His poignant statement has been echoing throughout the ages ever since, and has served to rouse us from our intellectual laziness and lethargy and has helped to continue to motivate us to recognize the absolute necessity for engaging in the continual practice of fearless, self-searching, inventory, and accurate self-appraisal.

Sacred scripture, again points to the necessity for this kind of fearless examination, overhaul, and inventory when in 2 Corinthians 5-6 it declares:

5 "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. 6 As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority."

This is clearly an admonishment to all to look within themselves, and to examine themselves by some objective standards.

So what are these objective standards, and just how do we put them into practice?

I'm glad you asked!

I would like to propose that there are three fundamental ways, (these are certainly not all encompassing, or exhaustive, but are absolutely core and fundamental ways that one can begin to establish and groom the practice,) that one can put themselves in the best position to succeed where acquiring and applying truth and insight about themselves is concerned.

1.) Revelation from God given by The Holy Spirit

Since God is omniscient and all knowing, and the source of all revelation, wisdom, and insight, whether concerning ourselves or anything else for that matter, it is a good idea to say the least, to be connected to that source.

However as scripture clearly articulates to us in Romans 5:1,

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Let's cross reference that previous passage with another portion of Scripture to illuminate some of the depth and richness of the point a bit further.

John 13:6 declares: "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

So then, to be clear, the opportunity that God grants for all who come to him and receive salvation and eternal life is open to ALL, however the MEANS BY WHICH that salvation is made possible is absolutely, and non-negotiably, EXCLUSIVE.

God welcomes everyone to be saved by His Grace, but none of can do it our way, or dictate to Him by what means are we to be justified and have the eternal peace that we have all desperately longed for.

Now, having received this peace from and with God as the direct result of believing in His Son and receiving Him by Grace through Faith into our hearts as our Lord and Savior, we are not only forgiven and justified, but we are empowered!

When we allow God to make us His children, we also allow Him to actually live inside of us by His Holy Spirit!

2 Corinthians 4:7

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

This most welcome addition to our souls, yes the very Third Person of The Holy Trinity, The Holy Spirit, acts as a powerful and moving agent of God's love, grace, and power, bringing revelation and insight to our hearts and minds and quickening facets and aspects of God's truth to our consciousness.

If we desire to continue to walk in this newfound peace, then it is imperative that we continuously nurture this Peaceful relationship and powerful partnership with God and His Spirit through spending substantial time with Him each day in Prayer; thanking Him for what He has already done and continues to do, presenting our requests before Him for the day, and allowing Him to inspire us to bless others with our thoughts, words, and actions along the way.

2.) Reading and Studying The Bible (God's Word)

The second fundamental way that we will begin to receive insight and truth about ourselves is through the reading and studying of scripture.

The Bible itself speaks of it's own indispensable, and paramount place of importance in our lives and as those who are now following Christ, and endeavoring to learn about ourselves, and what might be His will and plan for our lives.

Hebrews 4:12 tells us,

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Yes the Bible is actually alive with The Spirit of The Living God!

I love a quote that I recently heard from Bishop Dale C. Bronner, "The Bible is the only book that, when anyone anywhere sits down to open it up and read it, the author is present!"

Very true words indeed. Why then, doesn't everyone who purchases or reads a Bible just come into a relationship with Jesus Christ!? And why do some people who are actually reading the Bible in fact staunch atheists who read and memorize great portions of it, only to serve as a mock trial for their arguments against it?

That is a great question, but it's answer is actually quite simple. God is ubiquitous. He is ever present, everywhere, all at once, especially in His Word. However, given the fact that He lovingly created all of us with free will, because He wants each of us to respond to His living call for us freely and of our own accord, He also allows each any of us to make free choices, some of which arise out of our own fear, pride, and stubbornness, and lead to our own destruction.

Yes, God is everywhere, but as God asked Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden after the first sin was committed, "Where are you?"

When human beings make wrong choices, a very negative and destructive spiritual effect takes place, causing their hearts to be hardened towards the Spirit of God, rendering their sensitivity towards Him dull, and ineffective.

So again the question becomes, not where is God, but where are you, spiritually? Are you at peace with Him through a personal relationship with through His Son Jesus Christ? And if so, how is that relationship? Are you heeding the call to adopt these core spiritual practices such as spending time with Him in Prayer on a daily basis, and spending time reading and studying His Word? These core actions and disciplines will help keep your Spirit sharp, and sensitive to what the Spirit of God, The Holy Spirit, is saying to you.

Sitting under the sound, encouraging, and challenging Biblical teaching that a Pastor gives on a weekly basis is also an absolutely vitally needed part of reading and studying God's word, particularly when we are new, or young in the faith, but even when we aren't.

As Hebrews 10:25 flatly declares:

"not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching."

As this passage unambiguously articulates, we absolutely NEED mutual fellowship with, and encouragement from one another as fellow believers in The Body of Christ!

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Proverbs 27: 17-20.

To some this seems either like a daunting process, or a boring one. Trust me when I tell you that I've been there too, and yes it can be difficult, especially in the beginning. Our minds and emotions have not been either renewed or trained enough to delight in the right things yet, let alone be comfortable in stillness and silence, and have the capacity to seamlessly focus and listen while we're at it as well.

I would just ask you to consider the following examples:

If you've ever been out of shape, and looking to get in shape, or if you've been in ok shape, but have sought to be in better shape, then you know how absolutely challenging, daunting, and even overwhelming you feel when you first start working out, whether for the first time ever, or remaining a regimen after not having done it for a long period of time. IT'S HARD! There's no way to sugar coat it. But, if you've had enough desire for the right result, and have had enough grit and "want to" to persevere, (perhaps even with the warning of a doctor serving as another serious and underlying motivation,) then you also know that after you stick with it and make it through the early and seemingly unbearable stages, it gets a lot better, and a lot more enjoyable! And, of course, you start getting results, and you start to look and feel better too!

Well, it's not all that different when you embarking up on a spiritual lecatice that you've never done or adopted before. Give yourself time to get in "spiritual shape," and get some results in that area of your life before you just shoot down the whole process, fair enough? Good.

In time you will absolutely start to see, and feel noticeable results, namely the fruit of the Spirit!

And if you're body and physical health is important to you, (as it should be,) and you're willing to push through for the betterment of your life in that area, how much moreso should you be willing to "push through" spiritually?

Trust me, don't give up, "there's gold in them there hills!" Lol

Not only is your eternal future at stake, but your emotional and mental life, your sanity, and your relationships with thank you!

3.) Being Mentored

In the interest of time, I'm gonna cut right to the chase.

The Bible is filled with examples of mentorship. In the old testament we find the great prophet Elijah mentoring Elisha, only to later read of Elisha passing it on to his spiritual son, or mentee.

There is a remarkably interesting moment there, between Elijah and that aforementioned mentee when they are surrounded by a foreign army, and the mentee begins to panick.

The following passage tells us how the Elisha, the mentor in this situation, responded:

"And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

19 Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.

20 After they entered the city, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria."

What I find most interesting is that when Elisha prayed he didn't say "God please send chariots of fire from the heavens to help us!" No, because his spiritual eyes were open enough to see that they were already there in the Spirit. What he asked of God instead was to "Open his eyes Lord, so that he may see."

This is not only a powerful story of God showing Himself strong yet again on his servants' behalf. It is also a model, and a paradigm for us to follow.

Through this mentoring relationship, God speaks to us through our spiritual mothers and fathers, especially when we encounter what we perceived to be crises in our lives, and when we begin to panic.

Hopefully, if we have selected our mentor well, and they have some spiritual maturity they will allow The Lord to flow and work through them on our behalf, and they will Pray and intercede for us, and be a calming influence in the face of adversity, simply because their eyes are open, and they can see things that we cannot.

Yes, a good mentor is a priceless blessing from God to have in your life!

Secondly, we see the relationship between The apostle Paul and his mentee Timothy.

There are several passages of scripture that we can quickly allude to, to establish the voracity of this historical truth.

1 Corinthians 4:15 says,

"For even if you were to have ten thousand teachers [to guide you] in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers [who led you to Christ and assumed responsibility for you], for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the good news [of salvation."

The passage above truly illustrates the essence of this relationship; but in the western church and world at large we use the word mentor, which certainly serves its purpose. However, when God The Father uses one of His chosen vessels to transmit the Gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ, which then by The Holy Spirit leads another to salvation and spiritual regeneration, the aforementioned vessel becomes a spiritual father, or mother, given the fact that God through them begat a spiritual son or daughter who in turn became born again of His Spirit.

However, for our purposes here, given that this article is addressed to anyone interested, the word mentor will suffice.

As 1 Corinthians 11:1 simply states:

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

The above passage clearly indicates that Paul's "Spiritual Fatherhood," or role as a mentor in the life of those he discipled didn't just stop after he shared the gospel message with them, or led them through the equivalent of the sinner's prayer. Don't get me wrong, if his role in those relationships had ended there, they would have been vastly overpaid, as it is the most priceless gift that any soul can receive.

But another huge function of a spiritual mentor is that of a ROLE MODEL. Having a visual representation of faith in action personified, is an invaluable, God-ordained, and therefore necessary part of our growth and development as disciples of Christ. Many mistakes, and much suffering can be averted by not only heeding the wise words of a trusted and experienced spiritual father or mother, but also patterning our lives and ministries after theirs as well.

And lastly, as 2 Thessalonians 2:15 poignantly declares,

"So then, brethren, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions and instructions which you were taught by us, whether by our word of mouth or by letter."

As we close let's try and meditate on the meaning of this passage and let its implications speak to us. Yes, God speaks to us by His Holy Spirit, and through His word, but He also speaks to us powerfully through people, especially those that He has ordained to play the role of spiritual mentor in our lives. Therefore, even though this manner of speaking may be supplemental, it is still nevertheless indispensable and vital!

As Amos 3:7 openly tells us:

"Surely the Lord God does nothing Without revealing His secret plan [of the judgment to come] To His servants the prophets."

And of course, God didn't just reveal, or show this plan to the prophets for them to keep it to themselves, for the very word prophet indicates that they have something to prophess, or say!

So, although even as we mature in Christ, the role of The Lord speaking through people in our lives may become supplemental to Him speaking 'Spirit to spirit' to us, as the whole counsel of scripture clearly indicates, those vitally needed voices of instruction, reproach, comfort, encouragement, and admonishment, are critically and vital needed for us as Christ followers, regardless of whatever stage or level of growth and maturity we happen to currently be on.

It is a beautiful design for living that really works if we work it!

So let's try and remember on the days that we are a bit tired, or depressed, or annoyed even with our mentors, that many people would give their right arm for a support network of people who love them unconditionally, and are armed with the eternal truth, insight, and wisdom that come from many years of walking in relationship with God, and who are ready and willing to go to any length to support us, encourage us, and give us the clear and sound direction that will guide us safely home as we grow into a silent knowing of who we are in God, content in the cathartic sigh that we truly are where He wants us to be!

"May God Bless you and keep you, and may His face shine upon you! . . . " Numbers 6: 24-26

Yours in Christ,

Neil David Vandenbergh