Thursday April 13, 2017

 

Our cars have gauges that enable us to evaluate the speed at which we are driving, how much fuel we have in the gas tank, the vehicle’s temperature, and many other functions. Our cellphones have meters that allow us to evaluate the signal strength and the life of the battery. Our banks send us statements so that we can evaluate how much money we have available. We have all sorts of tools for evaluating things in our daily life, but how do we evaluate the important areas of our lives? What gauges, meters, or statements do we have to evaluate ourselves physically, emotionally, relationally, or spiritually?

 

You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? – Galatians 5:7 NLT

 

In the verse we just read, the Apostle Paul writing to the Galatians, posed a question that served as a tool to help them evaluate that, which held them back in their Christian walk, which he compared to a race. Questions are one of the best tools for evaluating our lives. The questions we ask ourselves accomplish two purposes: first, they establish what is important and second, they give direction. If you are a parent you’ve probably asked your child on numerous occasions the following question: Did you do your homework? Why ask this question? Because it communicates to our children what is important and establishes direction for their lives. The more we ask, the more it says what is important and what direction we should be walking in.

 

In yesterday’s post we looked at two of four important areas of our lives that we should evaluate. We used questions to help us evaluate where we are physically and emotionally. Today we will look at the other two areas of our lives that we should evaluate and once again we will use questions as our primary evaluating tool.

 

Two more areas of our lives that we should evaluate:

 

1. Evaluate where you are relationally.

• Are you mad at someone? Who are you not speaking to? Who is not speaking to you? How are things with your spouse, with your children, with your parents, your friends, schoolmates, the people you work with? Are you at peace with everyone? Is everyone at peace with you?

 

2. Evaluate where you are spiritually?

• Are you reading your Bible daily? Not just as a religious practice but as a way to hear from God. Are you praying every day? In the morning? In the afternoon? When you go to bed? Are you trusting God or are you trusting willpower? You are not trusting God if you are not listening to God and talking with God.

 

Questions are the tool that helps us evaluate where we are. However, it is not enough to ask them every once in a while, we must learn to ask them repeatedly and consistently. Just like we ask our children on Monday if they did their homework, we need to ask them again on Tuesday. Why do we persist on asking the same question day after day? Because it establishes what is important and it gives direction to their lives. The same is true with the questions we ask ourselves.

 

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