Take Time to Evaluate

In order to get better at anything, you must evaluate. Need to improve your business? Evaluate the efficiency and the effectiveness of your systems in place.

Need to improve your marriage? Evaluate ways in which you are not doing well enough and see what changes need to be made. (A marriage retreat will often help do this.)

Need to improve your personal life? Evaluate the things you are doing and see what steps you can take to get better. For those in Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit to do the evaluating is a must. Let God point out what needs to change and follow through with what He and His Word instruct you to do.

Several years ago, I woke up one day and said: “This is enough.” My weight had ballooned to the largest I’ve ever been. I did not feel healthy. I was winded walking up a flight of stairs. I said to myself, “Something must change.”

I started a process of watching what I was eating and making better choices. After a couple of months, my wife, Lisa, decided to start jogging to get exercise. I joined her in the adventure. After another couple of months, I chose to stop putting so much caffeine and artificial sweeteners in my body, I gave up Diet Dr Pepper. (That was a hard one. I was addicted.) I made several changes in my life to try to improve my health.

None of these changes would have happened if I would not have stopped and evaluated what was going on in my life. I cannot honestly say that these changes “stuck” from then on. Even after losing weight, I have gained some back and had to lose it again. I have gone through seasons of running and seasons of not running. But, I have not had a carbonated drink in years.

In other words, it has been a process to try to be healthier and I have won some and lost some. But, at least I realize that it matters what I eat and if I exercise.

We need to take time to make an effort to evaluate our spiritual lives. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul encourages us to “test” ourselves to see if we are in the faith. And, to “examine” ourselves. In other words, Paul is saying: evaluate where you are with the Lord.

Are you saved? Does your life give evidence that you belong to Jesus and have been redeemed? Evaluate that. As a follower of Jesus, has sinned crept into your life? What sin do you need to confess and get out of your life? Evaluate that.

Do you have a pure heart before the Lord? Evaluate that. We must do any confessing, repenting, recommitting, and changing in our hearts and lives to be right before the Lord.

Time spent evaluating our current condition before the Lord is time well spent. (Response or questions? jeff.perkins@mbclife.org)