Courage to Self Evaluate

It is not healthy to live under a microscope.  I know, I've been a pastor almost 40 years!:)
As a young believer I needed so much change that I became a little obsessed with evaluating my life.  I truly wanted to please Jesus and I wanted to be "conformed" to His image.  That is a good thing for the most part.  However, it can also become morbid.  There is a kind of "overboard" self examination that can create a loss of joy and a subconscious feeling that you can change yourself through your own human effort.  It will also produce in us a judging of others who are not sizing up to our standards.

In our early formative Christian years, there is a lot of change that is necessary quickly and not hard to see our discern.  In almost every sermon or every time we open our Bible we are quickened to change or conform.  That is a good thing as well.  In our current culture in the world conformity is considered a bad thing.  Self expression is a good and conformity is too confining to our eclectic expression.  As we grow in our Christian walk we are closer to the image of Jesus and we are confronted with as much change as was once required.  However, to assume that our need for self evaluation and change is over would be a great mistake.  That assumption (pride) leads to an in-sensitization to the Scripture and the Holy Spirit.  I remember preaching a sermon once and a man came to me after the service and said softly, "my wife really needed to hear that sermon!"  

Don't allow self evaluating to immobilize you.  That's what is called, "the paralysis of analysis." Yet, remain humble and sensitive to the ongoing work of cleansing and maturing that comes from the Word of God and the living presence of the Holy Spirit.  We call that process sanctification.