The Value of Self-Examination

What is the value of self-examination and what should it produce in my soul?

Over the years few songs have impacted me as consistently as the old hymn, “It is Well with My Soul.” Each time I sing those words a little voice in the back of my head asks this question, “Is it well with your soul?” Sometimes the answer is an easy “Yes.” Other times the question forces me to stop and deeply consider. After a few moments of self-examination, I might still find myself saying, “Yes, all is well,” but many times I have to admit there might be something amiss with my soul.  

The Biblical Call

Self-examination, for the Christian, is rarely an easy task, but it’s always a necessary one. Those who claim to follow the Savior need to check every now and again to make sure they are still following along his path and have not wandered onto one of the many trails that lead slowly, but inevitably away from him. Numerous writers throughout Scripture call on believers to examine their lives and see if they are honoring the Savior.  

Paul commands each believer to “examine himself” before taking communion (1 Corinthians 11:28). In his second letter to the church of Corinth he calls on them to “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 3:5). Moses pleads with the people of Israel, “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen” (Deuteronomy 4:9). Even Jesus himself called on his followers to examine their own lives with at least as much diligence as they were willing to examine the lives of others. “You hypocrite first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye” (Matthew 7:5). 

The Biblical End

But self-examination is never an end in itself. It is a means to the end of honoring the Lord. If we find ourselves straying into sin or struggling with faithfulness, we are called to turn back to what we know is right and true. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119, “When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies.” The writer makes it clear that self-evaluation should lead us back to Christ. The Old Testament prophets point the same way when they call on the entire nation of Israel to take time for self-evaluation. Nehemiah wrote, “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40).  

When was the last time you stepped away from the busyness of the world, held up the spiritual mirror, and examined your heart? Schedule some time, get alone with God, and ask, “Is it well with my soul?”  

Pastor Ken Kistler