[Thursday's Devotional] - Self examination

Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don't drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular check-ups. You need first-hand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won't show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we'd rather the test showed our failure than yours. We're rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn't possibly do otherwise. 2 Corinthians 13:5-9 [The Message]

Perhaps you can find time today for a maturity test?  Paul was concerned about his brothers and sisters in Corinth – worried that people were drifting along, and urging them to be sure that they had Jesus Christ in them.  We must have the same concern – we want to grow (and to be!) mature disciples – bearing the fruits of the Spirit.

Think about the following fruits, and spend a while deciding whether there is evidence of each fruit this week in you:

Love?

Joy?

Peace?

Patience?

Kindness?

Goodness?

Faithfulness?

Gentleness?

Self-control?

Oops!  I realise that my score is pretty low – how about you?

Lord, help me to spend time with you and in your Word – fill me with your Spirit till my fruits overflow.  Thank you for making me who I am, and help me to become who you want me to be, in Jesus name.  Amen.

Dave MacLellan