June 15-Questions for Gracious Self-Examination by John Wesley
Write out the Scripture.
Romans 6:13, Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: Am I defeated in any part of my life?
Defeat comes in many forms. We can experience it emotionally, mentally, physically, vocationally, financially, relationally, and spiritually. We might wonder, if Christ is living in me, why I am experiencing defeat in any part of my life? There are many reasons of which we do not have the space to delve into. However, our Scripture gives us a general answer that should be the starting point to experience overall victory in our lives. First, we are to offer ourselves to God. Through Jesus Christ, we are able to stand before God going from spiritual death to spiritual life. We are given Holy Spirit power making us into brand new people. Second, we are to offer every part of our being as instruments of righteousness. If we are defeated in any area of our lives, then it would seem to indicate that portion of our life is not under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our thoughts, emotions, decisions, actions, relationships, work, hobbies, spare time, finances, and conversations are to be instruments for God’s glory. To experience victory in life requires the full surrender of our total selves, including every part, into the hands of our loving Lord.
Relate it to your life.
I can expect spiritual victory when I surrender myself under Jesus’ full authority.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, today, I give myself and any area of my life where I feel defeated to You. Amen.
June 16-Questions for Gracious Self-Examination by John Wesley
Write out the Scripture.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
Wesley probes deep into our souls wanting to us to discern if we are living by Holy Spirit or by our own spirit. He is describing those thoughts and attitudes that reveal how much of the world is still in us. They are the result of being too earthly minded. If we are in a constant battle with one or several of these, then it reveals that not all is well with our soul. There is still work to be done. Even though we have been redeemed, we are still immature in our faith journey. This is true for all of us when we get started. As we grow chronologically from infants to childhood to adolescence to adulthood, we require different nutrition to match our maturity, so we need the same for our spiritual lives. These thoughts and attitudes will become less controlling as we make spiritual progress. As we consciously confess these areas needing special attention to Christ and submit ourselves to His Lordship, the Holy Spirit becomes more influential in our lives transforming us into the new creation we are promised to become.
Relate it to your life.
Whenever I notice any of these thoughts and attitudes begin to emerge, I know that something is going on deep in my spirit that needs special attention.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, I surrender myself and all of my attitudes to Your cleansing grace. Amen.
June 17-Questions for Gracious Self-Examination by John Wesley
Write out the Scripture.
Romans 13:11-12, And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: How do I spend my spare time?
Wesley addressed our use of money earlier, now, he addresses our use of time. As we are called to be good stewards of the wealth that God has entrusted to us, so are we to be good stewards of the time we have been given. When we comprehend just how brief life is, then we are awakened to the precious commodity of time. We cannot buy back lost time. We cannot go back and undo what we have or have not done with our spare time. We need to use our time as though the Day is almost here. The Day of the Lord’s return. The Day of our own death. The Day of the final reckoning. When we recognize the end is in sight, that helps clarify the vision of how we should live. We no longer want to waste time on trivial matters but spend all the more time on that which is of utmost importance. We want to be found faithfully enjoying and serving the Lord, spending quality time with our family and loved ones, and participating in activities that are healthy and helpful for our overall wellbeing. We become pickier in what we choose to do because we understand we have only such limited time to enjoy, so we want to use it wisely for the benefit of others all to the glory of God.
Relate it to your life.
How I spend my disposable time reflects the quality of my spiritual life.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, give me wisdom in my time management so I steward it as a blessing to You. Amen.
June 18-Questions for Gracious Self-Examination by John Wesley
Write out the Scripture.
Luke 18:10-12, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: Am I proud? Do I thank God that I am not like other people?
Wesley understood that pride can easily enter into our spiritual life and practices. Instead, of humbly coming before the Lord in worship and prayer, the Pharisee looked around at everyone else and proudly proclaimed his superior position of piety. This is the seduction of self-righteousness to elevate ourselves based upon performance and comparison to others. This proud way was the message that the Pharisees lived and taught others. It was a heavy and burdensome life to try to outdo one another in climbing the self-righteous ladder of success. Jesus revealed that He came to set us free from such a performance trap. In this story, He went on to tell how we all should see ourselves in worshiping our holy God, “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” Jesus then said this man went home justified before God because all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Relate it to your life.
To be found to be righteous before God in worship, I have nothing to offer but my sin and brokenness.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.
June 19-Questions for Gracious Self-Examination by John Wesley
Write out the Scripture.
Ephesians 4:32, Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. James 5:8-9, You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: Is there anyone who I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment towards, or disregard? Do I grumble or complain constantly?
There’s a lot to consider in these two questions! They speak of the quality of our relationships with God and one another. They reflect how we are doing spiritually as we go about daily life, interacting with people and with the challenges that life itself brings. Wesley’s asking if “there is anyone who we…,” he indicates having one such person in our life is not healthy for our spiritual wellbeing. To feel any such ill towards anyone means we have not done the interior work that needs to be done to forgive them for any harm they have done to us. This comprehensive list causes us to pause to take careful inventory of all our relationships past and present to consider if this true for any of them. If so, why is it? What do we need to do to rectify it and have a positive attitude towards them? In the same way, we need to be honest and consider if we are grumbling and complaining often about someone or something in our lives. This also reveals an unhealthy spiritual interior of discontentment that needs to be investigated and corrected. The Lord is willing to help us if we will be honest, confess, and ask for His strength to do so.
Relate it to your life.
I need to take regular inventory to see where there is a broken relationship or growing discontentment.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, help me to do the necessary work to bring healing to my soul. Amen.
June 20-Questions for Gracious Self-Examination by John Wesley
Write out the Scripture.
John 17:3, Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: Is Christ real to me?
This is Wesley’s last and best question of all. Do not rush too quickly past this one. Let it sink in. if the answer is no, then confess Your sin, ask Him to enter into Your life, and fill you with His Spirit. If the answer is yes, in what ways is He real to you? Do you have the assurance that your sins are forgiven, that you have entered into eternal life, that you have a certain hope about your future? Is it your driving desire to please Jesus every moment of your life? Do you speak often with Him? Do you enjoy reflecting on what He has written? Do you desire more of Him? Do you desire all of Him? In Jesus’ prayer on the night before His crucifixion, He defined the quality of eternal life as knowing both Father and Son. This knowledge is more than an intellectual pursuit, but a pursuit of the heart. It is to be an all-in experience of participating in the dynamic relationship of the Father and Son’s love through the Holy Spirit.
Relate it to your life.
Christ is as real to me as I learn to practice His presence in my life.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, by putting my trust in You as Lord and Savior, You have become real to me. However, I want more. I want all that I can have. I want to enter into the deepest knowledge possible. I want to experience all of You every day. I give myself fully to You. Here I am Lord, fill me with Your holy love. Amen.
Write out the Scripture.
Romans 6:13, Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: Am I defeated in any part of my life?
Defeat comes in many forms. We can experience it emotionally, mentally, physically, vocationally, financially, relationally, and spiritually. We might wonder, if Christ is living in me, why I am experiencing defeat in any part of my life? There are many reasons of which we do not have the space to delve into. However, our Scripture gives us a general answer that should be the starting point to experience overall victory in our lives. First, we are to offer ourselves to God. Through Jesus Christ, we are able to stand before God going from spiritual death to spiritual life. We are given Holy Spirit power making us into brand new people. Second, we are to offer every part of our being as instruments of righteousness. If we are defeated in any area of our lives, then it would seem to indicate that portion of our life is not under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Our thoughts, emotions, decisions, actions, relationships, work, hobbies, spare time, finances, and conversations are to be instruments for God’s glory. To experience victory in life requires the full surrender of our total selves, including every part, into the hands of our loving Lord.
Relate it to your life.
I can expect spiritual victory when I surrender myself under Jesus’ full authority.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, today, I give myself and any area of my life where I feel defeated to You. Amen.
June 16-Questions for Gracious Self-Examination by John Wesley
Write out the Scripture.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
Wesley probes deep into our souls wanting to us to discern if we are living by Holy Spirit or by our own spirit. He is describing those thoughts and attitudes that reveal how much of the world is still in us. They are the result of being too earthly minded. If we are in a constant battle with one or several of these, then it reveals that not all is well with our soul. There is still work to be done. Even though we have been redeemed, we are still immature in our faith journey. This is true for all of us when we get started. As we grow chronologically from infants to childhood to adolescence to adulthood, we require different nutrition to match our maturity, so we need the same for our spiritual lives. These thoughts and attitudes will become less controlling as we make spiritual progress. As we consciously confess these areas needing special attention to Christ and submit ourselves to His Lordship, the Holy Spirit becomes more influential in our lives transforming us into the new creation we are promised to become.
Relate it to your life.
Whenever I notice any of these thoughts and attitudes begin to emerge, I know that something is going on deep in my spirit that needs special attention.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, I surrender myself and all of my attitudes to Your cleansing grace. Amen.
June 17-Questions for Gracious Self-Examination by John Wesley
Write out the Scripture.
Romans 13:11-12, And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: How do I spend my spare time?
Wesley addressed our use of money earlier, now, he addresses our use of time. As we are called to be good stewards of the wealth that God has entrusted to us, so are we to be good stewards of the time we have been given. When we comprehend just how brief life is, then we are awakened to the precious commodity of time. We cannot buy back lost time. We cannot go back and undo what we have or have not done with our spare time. We need to use our time as though the Day is almost here. The Day of the Lord’s return. The Day of our own death. The Day of the final reckoning. When we recognize the end is in sight, that helps clarify the vision of how we should live. We no longer want to waste time on trivial matters but spend all the more time on that which is of utmost importance. We want to be found faithfully enjoying and serving the Lord, spending quality time with our family and loved ones, and participating in activities that are healthy and helpful for our overall wellbeing. We become pickier in what we choose to do because we understand we have only such limited time to enjoy, so we want to use it wisely for the benefit of others all to the glory of God.
Relate it to your life.
How I spend my disposable time reflects the quality of my spiritual life.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, give me wisdom in my time management so I steward it as a blessing to You. Amen.
June 18-Questions for Gracious Self-Examination by John Wesley
Write out the Scripture.
Luke 18:10-12, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: Am I proud? Do I thank God that I am not like other people?
Wesley understood that pride can easily enter into our spiritual life and practices. Instead, of humbly coming before the Lord in worship and prayer, the Pharisee looked around at everyone else and proudly proclaimed his superior position of piety. This is the seduction of self-righteousness to elevate ourselves based upon performance and comparison to others. This proud way was the message that the Pharisees lived and taught others. It was a heavy and burdensome life to try to outdo one another in climbing the self-righteous ladder of success. Jesus revealed that He came to set us free from such a performance trap. In this story, He went on to tell how we all should see ourselves in worshiping our holy God, “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” Jesus then said this man went home justified before God because all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Relate it to your life.
To be found to be righteous before God in worship, I have nothing to offer but my sin and brokenness.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.
June 19-Questions for Gracious Self-Examination by John Wesley
Write out the Scripture.
Ephesians 4:32, Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. James 5:8-9, You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: Is there anyone who I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment towards, or disregard? Do I grumble or complain constantly?
There’s a lot to consider in these two questions! They speak of the quality of our relationships with God and one another. They reflect how we are doing spiritually as we go about daily life, interacting with people and with the challenges that life itself brings. Wesley’s asking if “there is anyone who we…,” he indicates having one such person in our life is not healthy for our spiritual wellbeing. To feel any such ill towards anyone means we have not done the interior work that needs to be done to forgive them for any harm they have done to us. This comprehensive list causes us to pause to take careful inventory of all our relationships past and present to consider if this true for any of them. If so, why is it? What do we need to do to rectify it and have a positive attitude towards them? In the same way, we need to be honest and consider if we are grumbling and complaining often about someone or something in our lives. This also reveals an unhealthy spiritual interior of discontentment that needs to be investigated and corrected. The Lord is willing to help us if we will be honest, confess, and ask for His strength to do so.
Relate it to your life.
I need to take regular inventory to see where there is a broken relationship or growing discontentment.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, help me to do the necessary work to bring healing to my soul. Amen.
June 20-Questions for Gracious Self-Examination by John Wesley
Write out the Scripture.
John 17:3, Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Observe what it is saying.
Wesley’s Question: Is Christ real to me?
This is Wesley’s last and best question of all. Do not rush too quickly past this one. Let it sink in. if the answer is no, then confess Your sin, ask Him to enter into Your life, and fill you with His Spirit. If the answer is yes, in what ways is He real to you? Do you have the assurance that your sins are forgiven, that you have entered into eternal life, that you have a certain hope about your future? Is it your driving desire to please Jesus every moment of your life? Do you speak often with Him? Do you enjoy reflecting on what He has written? Do you desire more of Him? Do you desire all of Him? In Jesus’ prayer on the night before His crucifixion, He defined the quality of eternal life as knowing both Father and Son. This knowledge is more than an intellectual pursuit, but a pursuit of the heart. It is to be an all-in experience of participating in the dynamic relationship of the Father and Son’s love through the Holy Spirit.
Relate it to your life.
Christ is as real to me as I learn to practice His presence in my life.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, by putting my trust in You as Lord and Savior, You have become real to me. However, I want more. I want all that I can have. I want to enter into the deepest knowledge possible. I want to experience all of You every day. I give myself fully to You. Here I am Lord, fill me with Your holy love. Amen.
Posted in Daily Devotionals