When studying Chapter 8 in the book of Nehemiah, we see the people weeping and lamenting over their sin. This caused me to ponder over the thought, “do we truly mourn over our sin? Does it grieve us when we sin against God?”

Let us take time to consider the spiritual condition of our hearts. I have listed below Eight (8) Ways to Look into the Mirror of God’s Word to help us in determining our spiritual condition (James 1:22-25). Will you take a few minutes before the Lord and consider these aspects of our Christian life that our indicators of how your relationship with God is doing?

1. Are you more passionate about other things than your relationship with God? (i.e. sports, work, fitness, family, entertainment, etc.)
Read Psalm 37:4; Matthew 6:21

2. Do you find it a chore to read your Bible and are disinterested in it?  Read II Timothy 3:16, 17; Hebrews 4:12.

3. Are you uninterested in attending church? I do not attend or go because it is expected of me.  Read Hebrews 10:25.

4. Is your prayer life what it should be? “I never feel like praying or I rarely pray to God for more than 5 minutes.”  Read I Thessalonians 5:17.

5. Do you share your faith or do you consider it a private matter?  Read II Corinthians 5:14-18.

6. Do you find yourself often critical of the church and Christians?   Read Revelation 12:10.

7. When was the last time where you have been used by God to lead a person to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?  Read Acts 11:19-21.

8. Do you tithe on a regular basis or do you view it as “my money” or “you don’t really trust the church” or do you feel the church does not need your money.  Read Malachi 3:6-10.

Will we follow the example of the Jewish people in Nehemiah and weep and repent over our sin asking God to forgive us? God desires for us to be free to worship Him, love Him and serve Him. So “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1:1, 2).

In His Service,
Pastor Greg