Check Yo'Self

Volume 9 Issue 2

Greeting in His Name,

We are in the season of lent and most of us have decided to forego something for 40 days. Some may have decided to leave a certain food, some an electronic device or even a form of social media. Whatever your sacrifice, it's important to remember that it's only meant to bring us closer to God and further away from the things that most times distract us.

Today's blog is entitled Check Yo'self. Sometimes we have to survey 'us' and I think lent is a perfect time to do so. Hope you find some inspiration, conviction, and queries.

shalom and love,

heidi

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We have all gotten this notice in the mail – “It’s that time of year again, YOUR ANNUAL CHECKUP”. For many of us we dread that time of year but we also know that it is imperative that we keep this appointment. Missing this appointment could possibly put us at risk and delay us from finding any ailments that could lead to a worsening condition. There are many preventive measures we can take to live out a healthy life and an annual checkup is one of those measures. Well, just as in us taking caring of our physical self, we have to take care of our spiritual self. Actually, it is just as important. When was your last SPIRITUAL CHECKUP? Did that spiritual checkup lead to some preventive measures to protect your spirit man? If we neglect our appointment with our holy health professional, the Holy Spirit, we are putting ourselves in harm’s way. With that being said, let’s begin our checkup.

Check Your Eyes (Psalms 19:8 ESV)

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. (Luke 11:34 ESV) Because the eye is the first place of influence, it is important to guard what you see. What you see can determine the types of choices you make, whether good or bad. In this parable Jesus’ main concern is that we feed our bodies light, meaning morally good reasoning. Jesus knows that if we allow filth or darkness to enter through the eye gate our overall person-hood will be dark and unhealthy. We will not make wholesome, God-fearing decisions, and honestly, we may find ourselves operating in a form of self-aggrandizement. To improve the spiritual evaluation of the eye, take the advice of Psalms 19:8.

Check Your Mouth (Psalms 19:14 ESV)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. (Psalm 17:3 ESV) I could go in several different directions with this one. I could go in the direction of literally speaking bad language, or the direction of bad mouthing people, but I have decided to look into the neglect of speaking faith. As the psalmist describes, you may have been strained and pulled apart. No light or good seems possible; but in your heart - because you have spoken-into-it-FAITH, you purposed that your mouth not misbehave. That it -your mouth- will not disobey nor will it sin. To not speak faith is to sin. But to speak faith is to show forth a trust in God that no matter what, He is God and He is in control. So if our mouths, which are known to get us into a world of trouble, would take the spiritual evaluation of Psalms 19:14, I think we would find an acceptable remedy to all that ails the mouth.

Check Your Hands (Psalms 119:48 ESV)

I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there is wrong in my hands, if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause, let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it, and let him trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. (Psalm 7:3-5 ESV) It seems the psalmist has already begun his own checkup. This is a classic example of the Holy Spirit already in charge. To look at your hands is to look at your work. What have you allowed to be in your life? In this Psalm, David knew that his hands were not out for evil against his King Saul but for good. So David decides, as we should, to question the whole turn of events and if it is because of his wrong motives or because of wrong acts on his part he was willing to suffer the consequences. We have to know as we spiritually evaluate our hands, evil for good is devil-like, evil for evil is beast-like, good for good is man-like, but good for evil is God-like (KJV Parallel Bible Commentary). As you look at your hands, meditate on Psalms 119:48.

Check Your Feet (Psalms 119:59 ESV)

When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies. Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? (Proverbs 6:28 ESV) I had a V8 moment when I read this scripture. Common sense hit me in the face, like Duh…, Heidi! Surely if you walk on hot coals your feet will be burned, well the same holds true in the spiritual sense. Your feet are a replica of your walk in the Lord. To walk in any direction other than that solid foundation laid by Christ is dangerous. Our feet can be pulled by faithless eyes to wander into dark situations. Our feet can be swayed by our mouth to retreat when we should attack. Our feet can join the shameless antics of our hands or even listen to ears of not-so good reasoning and fall prey to the risk of not taking a spiritual evaluation daily. A spiritual evaluation to live the best spiritually healthy life we can.

Closing: Check You!

In closing, check you for service! If necessary, put you in the S.H.O.P. — Spirit-filled Holy Opportunities to Pray — and let Him put you back into service.

LIFE QUOTE

“When you come from so many damaged places you don't ever want to spiral back there, so you gotta continue to check yourself.

-Mary J. Blige

Let Us Laugh!

What is the equation for Christianity? 1 cross + 3 Nails = 4 given.

(Christian Jokes, R.J. Clarke)

Hope to see you Next Month!

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