Spiritual Inventory part 3

1.   Principle 4: Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.  “Happy are the pure in heart.” Matthew 5:8)

2.   Step 4: We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.  “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”  (Lamentations 3:40)

Introduction

Before we can do this critical step in our recovery called the spiritual inventory, we must first have fully accepted steps 1-2.  Step 1 is understanding that I cannot deal with my hurt or habit on my own.  Step 2 is understanding that God cares about me and He has the power and desire to help me deal with them.  Moreover, we must also make the decision of step 3.  Step 3 is choosing to commit all of my life and will to Christ’s care and control.  The Spiritual Inventory will test your understanding of steps 1 and 2, and especially your decision of step 3.

Tonight we continue our inventory.  Last week we talked about 4 areas in our life that we need to examine: your relationships to others, your priorities, your attitudes, and your integrity.  This week we continue with four more areas: your body, your mind, your family, and your church.

Spiritual Inventory (continued)

Area #5: Your Body
That you have hurts and habits connected with how you use your body is most evident by the pains, sicknesses, improper functioning or use of your body.  I’m not saying every pain or illness is the direct result of your sin, but many are.  Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”  And 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  So here are some questions you need to deal with in your inventory:

In what ways have you mistreated your body?  Has there been alcohol, drugs, immorality, hatred of self, self-abuse, poor diet, denial of rest, stress, etc? 

What evidence of that mistreatment can you see or feel?  Do you fear effects that you cannot yet see or feel?

Area #6: Your Mind

That you have hurts and habits connected with how you use your mind is most evident in what you think about and desire.  Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Here are some questions you may need to deal with in this area:

How have you damaged your way of thinking and desires?  We have sinful minds to start with, but how have you further polluted it?  Some example are alcohol, drugs, immorality, bitterness, resentment, anger, pride, self-worship, self-hate, etc.

How have you improperly guarded your mind? – in some ways we need to guard it, like from the sinful things like we just mentioned.  But, also how have you NOT dealt with things you need to deal with because you “put it out of your mind”, denied it, or justified it?

How have you neglected the Word of God?  This is one of the greatest sins in the church today; indifference to, neglect of, and disrespect for the Word of God.

Area #7: Your Family

That you have hurts and habits connected to your family is most evident in how you spend your free time.  Do you want to be with them or will you do almost anything to have an excuse to get away.  Matthew 15:4 says, “For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’”  That’s pretty tough stuff; I think God takes our treatment of our family pretty seriously.  Then 1 Timothy 5:8 says, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  Yeah, that’s pretty serous.  Here are some questions for this section:

How have you mistreated members of your family?  Have you failed to provide for their needs, over-provide wants (spoiled them), neglect, lie to, selfish behavior, failure to train, or have you enabled sin? 

Do you resent any family members?  Why?

Area #8: Your Church

That you have hurts and habits connected to your church family is most evident in how much desire to have fellowship with them.  It isn’t an option as spending time with our church family is commanded by God in many ways including 1 Corinthians 3:9, 16 which say, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.  Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”  The context of this verse shows it is talking about the Church collectively being the Temple.  We all have a part to play and we need each other…which agrees with step #1 by the way.  Here are the some questions for your inventory: 

How has God confirmed to you what your role is in the church and how are you fulfilling that role?  The Bible says every believer has a part to play, like every part of your body has a role or function. 

Are you critical of those in the church instead of involved in a selfless way?  Why?

For the time you are spending at church, why are you there?   Is it to appease your guilt?

Conclusion: (the five tools to help you prepare for inventory)

1.   Memorize Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
2.   Read and keep reading the “Balancing the Scale” verses
3.   Keep inventory balanced listing both the good and the bad – very important!  List on the back of the page the good things God has done, has led you to do, or is leading you to do.
4.   Continue to develop your support team
5.   Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)