"There are certain questions that every Christian must answer in utter candor. Do you hunger for Jesus Christ? Do you yearn to spend time alone with him in prayer? Is he the most important person in your life? Does he fill your soul like a song of joy? Is he on your lips as a shout of praise? Do you eagerly turn to his memoirs, his Testament, to learn more of him? Are you making the effort to die daily to anything and everything that inhibits, threatens, or diminishes your friendship?" (Manning 106)
The first time I read over that list I thought "hmm, thats a really good section." I kept reading, or rather tried to. But God just kept drawing me back to that passage. I couldn't turn the page. And I was just grabbed by the Spirit and compelled to answer the challenge Brennan put in front of me. The challenge that Christ calls us to each and every day, to evalutate our relationship with him and what needs to grow or change. So I got my journal and simply went straight down the list being as brutally honest as I could with myself. Evaluation does nothing if it doesn't come from the heart, where the crux of the problem comes from. So my challenge to you is this: grab a sheet of paper, journal, microsoft word even, and write down these questions replacing each "you" with "I" and such, making these statements personal. Then answer the questions. Be blunt, be honest, if not then don't waste your time. A half-truth is no better than a lie because neither are true. Then after you have answered them the next task is to create action steps. Figure out some concrete things that you can do tomorrow (or even today) to improve your relationship with Christ. Then get someone to hold you accountable. Maybe thats a friend, a pastor, a family member, etc. Figure out what the problem is then take every step you can to fix it.
Christ calls us to live our lives in a radical way, exclusively for his glory. Let's all take a step back to be sure that we're running in the right direction. Be bold.
-matt
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