The

beginning of a new year unfolds a wonderful opportunity

to engage in self-examination. Mind you, it's a very

spiritual thing to do. Very Biblical (for all you Bible

thumpers). The great Apostle Paul admonished, "But

let a man examine himself" (1 Corinthians 11:28) and

as a result, that examined person would not have to be

disciplined by the Lord (verse 31). Bottom line: if we

take a strong look at ourselves and get our act in order,

then God won't have such a big assignment in regard to

us. Jesus used the analogy of the piece of lumber and the

splinter to make the same point.

Jesus said

it would be better to be concerned with the board in your

own eye before trying to help a brother/sister take out

the splinter that's in their eye. Self-examination is a

good thing.

Now, with

that as background, let me provoke you to look at your

spiritual life. Do you have spiritual paralysis? Are you

locked in to where you were spiritually five years ago?

People who are physically paralyzed often times need help

to get their joints moving again. Could it be that you

need someone who will help stretch your spiritual

boundaries beyond what they have been for years?

Let's take

another tack: are you experiencing spiritual

schizophrenia? You have multiple spiritual personalities.

You can't decide if you want to be an Elijah calling down

fire on the ungodly or be Barnabas simply encouraging the

church. What about simply trying to line up your life in

the shadow of Jesus Christ. W.W.J.D. What would Jesus do?

How would Jesus do? Where would Jesus do?

Perhaps

you've got a bad case of spiritual constipation. You've

got a lot of good spiritual stuff inside, but without any

outlet for service. Remember what James counseled: faith

without works is dead. You need to get a outward flow

from your life. Jesus said "rivers of living

water" are to come out of our innermost being.

Believers with spiritual constipation can often be

described as being so heavenly minded that they are no

earthly good.

But what I

find is that far too many church members experience

spiritual lethargy. Their get up and go for the Lord

Jesus Christ has got up and gone. They need spiritual

Geritol. And as I remember, Geritol was mostly spirits.

The church doesn't need spirits, but the Spirit.

Too many

church members have taken years-long siesta and need the

tonic of the Holy Spirit. Maybe before much longer you

need to find where he's pouring himself and have a drink!

The Rev. Dr. John

Hatcher is pastor of River's Edge Community Church in

Fayetteville.

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