Examine Yourself

2 Corinthians 13:5 - “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.”
     I watched the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commemorative Service yesterday and for the lack of better more literal terms - it was - ‘off the chain’. The guest speakers, commentators, program participants and key note speaker, Rev. Bernice King challenged us to examine our lives; not just for the sake of self-improvement or critical scrutiny; but to revisit the wonderful things that God has done for us, through us and even in spite of us. And when we do this; we must then look to how we must redirect our energies to continue the work of Dr. King.
    Contrary to popular thought and White House rhetoric, we are already a great nation. We have lost our focus; taken too much of what others have sacrificed for granted, and we are no less than the awesomeness of the God who created us and placed us here on this soul for his greater purpose. We must not be afraid to move forward.
    Have you ever been slow to respond or non-responsive to your call or your ministry or your mission because you doubted your ability to be effective or slipped into a spirit of ‘fear’? In today’s scripture, Paul is admonishing the church at Corinth to review their actions, to examine and test themselves. I am charging us today to do that very thing.
     How many are going un-served or under-served because we doubted our ability to help?” I thought about the many opportunities that I have had to assist others when I answered the call and how fulfilling it was to see God operate so magnificently through me; not because of me, but in spite of my shortcomings. So how many more times was I apprehensive about exercising the power of God through me to be a catalyst of change in someone else’s life or circumstance? Jesus’ blood covers us for a multitude of sins but if we are to be guilty of anything when we come before the Master, we do not want to be charged with disobedience, apprehension of duty or lack of enthusiasm when it comes to fulfilling his call upon our lives.
     Examine yourself today. Have you squelched the power of God in your life by denying him the opportunity to use you to show his grace and mercy to the world? Have you undermined his authority in your life by not paying attention to the wonderful muscles he has developed in your spiritual life for you to use against the enemy? All that he has taken you through has built you up for greater victories. Now is not the time to shy away or underestimate the wonder that God wants to perform through you. Examine yourself and you will see that you are more than equipped to do even greater works through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
     Every day is a good day; it is up to us to make it a GREAT day. Be blessed! Rev. Dr. JoAnn