Resources/Articles
An Unexamined Life
The philosopher Socrates is on record as saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
A story was once told about a 13-year-old boy in a small, southern town, who walked into the drug store and asked to use then telephone. The druggist handed him the phone. And he heard the boy say, “Is this you, Dr. Anderson? Well, I was wondering if you would like to hire a boy to mow your lawn and run errands? Oh, you already have a boy? Does he do a good job? He does? So, you’re satisfied with him? You are. Ok, thank you.” He hung up the phones thanked the druggist, and started to walk out, but the druggist stopped him.
“Son, I believe I could use an ambitious boy like yourself to work for me.”
“Oh, I already have a job.”
“Well, didn’t I just hear you call Dr. Anderson and ask for a job?”
“Well, not really,” said the boy. “You see, I already work for Dr. Anderson. I was just checking up on myself.”
The word “examine” speaks to the attitude of checking up on yourself. Its action and application are commanded in 2 Corinthians 13.5: “Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless indeed ye be reprobate.”
The word “examine” means “to scrutinize; to test; to prove.” Vincent says the word “implies a definite intent to ascertain their spiritual condition.”
It’s noteworthy that the text says, “examine yourself.” The Corinthians had exerted much effort in examining Paul, scrutinizing his ministry, distrusting his methods, and questioning his motives. So, Paul admonishes them to examine their own lives.
It’s easy for us to examine others, to judge by outward appearance, to scrutinize the actions of our brethren, to analyze the motive behind a preachers sermon or criticize a decision of the elders, to inspect the life of a friend, to put under a microscope the behavior of a spouse, child, or parent, and even to draw conclusions about people we don’t even know based upon a single encounter.
To examine ourselves calls for honest, humility, and transparency. Yet it is this effort that proves that we possess a heart that is sincerely seeking to serve God. In essence, we are as King David: a man after God’s own heart (cf. Acts 13.22).
Furthermore, such an examination isn’t an occasional exercise like an annual physical. Sam Binkley in his presentation, “Approved Christians,” offers this insight: “This is not a once-a-year examination like a businessman’s auditing his books or a taxpayer filing a tax return, but it is a continual process to evaluate our relation to God. Such an examination involves a look into one’s own heart to determine not only the actions but also the motives which prompt the actions with the realization that no one else can know our motives except you and God.”
The words “examine yourselves” and “test yourselves” mean essentially the same thing. Some versions of the Bible have translated these two terms “look carefully at yourselves” and “ask yourselves.”
So, how about asking yourself these questions for starters:
- Are you truly walking by faith?
- Is “Christ in you?” Do you have a real relationship with him?
- Is your life characterized by righteousness and godliness?
- Is your speech wholesome?
- Are you seeking to walk in the footsteps of Jesus?
- How’s your prayer life?
- Do you regularly read the Bible?
- Is your worship attendance faithful or sporadic?
- Is worship an exciting, expectant privilege, or a boring ritual to be endured?
- How does your thankfulness for your blessings compare to your resentful that others have more?
- Are you generous and charitable with your resources, or stingy and unsympathetic?
- Are your professed values properly aligned with your daily practices?
- Do you view the Christian life as just something to do or something to be?
- Are your business dealings honest and honorable?
- Does your family life reflect the love of Christ?
- Is your heart right with God?
Examining yourself should be for one reason only: “…whether ye be in the faith.”
