Spiritual Inventory part 2

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).

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).

Before we can do these critical steps, we must first understand steps 1 and 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.

And we must make the decision of step 3…

Step 3 is choosing to commit all of my life and will to Christ’s care and control.

Areas to Examine in our Spiritual Inventory

There are several areas of our lives that we need the Holy Spirit to lead us through as part of our spiritual inventory.  With any person, object, or event that we list in column one of our inventory worksheets we should consider these areas.  Some will apply, some won’t, and there may be other areas that need to be included as well; the ones listed below are helpful reminders and starters.  We covered area #1 last week, this week we add several more, with more to come next week.

Area #1: Relationships with Others

Matthew 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Questions:

Who has hurt you?  
Against whom have you been holding a grudge?  
Who have you hurt?

Area #2: Priorities in Your Life

Our priorities are most evident by how we spend our time and money…what are yours?
Romans 12:1-2 “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 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.”

Questions:
After making the decision to turn your life and your will over to God, in what areas of your life are you still not putting God first?
What in your past is interfering with your doing God’s Will?
What have been priorities in your job, friendships, goals?
Who did your priorities affect?

Area #3: Your Attitude

Your governing attitude is most evident in your reactions to the unexpected.
1 Thess 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Questions:

Do you have a grateful attitude or do you mostly complain about circumstances?
In what areas of your life are you ungrateful? 
Have you gotten angry and easily blown up at people?
Have you been sarcastic?
What in your past is still causing you fear or anxiety?

Area #4: Your Integrity

Your integrity will be most evident when people from different parts of your life come in contact (job, family, friends, church, etc).
Prov 10:9 “He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known.”

Questions:

In what past dealings were you dishonest?
Have you stolen things, even things like time, information, affection?
Have you exaggerated yourself to make yourself look better, even on resumes, dating, or a traffic stop?
In what areas of your past have you used false humility?

Conclusion

Don’t forget 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)