“ Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless”. - James 1:22-26

“The unexamined life is not worth living” is a famous statement attributed to Socrates several years ago. What this statement depicts has been something of debate among the “brain people” - the Intellectuals, as you may want to call them. But one basic principle of life which gives room for greater success is our deliberate and consistent evaluation of our attitudes in line with the word of God. The question really is, “what is expected of me as a child of God, or as a Christian? Remember, our adherence to God’s word opens the doors of favour and opportunities to us in all sphere – spiritually and materially. Without a constant self-evaluation of your character and attitude in relation to God’s word, you may never know if you are in the Lord or in the World. As Christians, self-assessment becomes an increasingly important part of our faith as we grow and mature spiritually. Just as periodic checkups with doctors and dentists help us take care of our physical health, regular reflection on how we're performing in accordance with our faith and what steps we need to take to remedy any areas of weakness helps us become stronger spiritually. It also enables us to tackle problems before they go out of control.

In today’s word, God encourages us to look inward in order to identify areas of weakness so that we can address them. The best approach according to the scripture is to do what the scripture says and not to read the scriptures alone. Therefore, commencing from today, before you finally commit yourself to sleep in the night, ponder over the day’s activities and examine your attitude, words and action, and then determine if you acted in line with the scriptures and your faith. Probe the deepest part of your being and let the Holy Spirit guide you in this exercise. The moment you truthfully accept your failings and open up to Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins to control your life. The success you seek in life comes only when you are free from guilt and condemnation. The scriptures says; “You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and give them up; then God will show mercy to you”. (Proverbs 28:13)In addition to this, open up to God and let Him use you as He wants. Henceforth, refrain from judging others and trying to figure out if they deserve help or not. Your job is to lift the fallen, restore the broken and heal the hurting.