How many of us have learned to look inwardly with courage?

The art of examination is a beautiful thing.  So many of us can live such incredibly busy lives that we do not take the time to pause and reflect upon our daily choices but rather wake up one day and wonder how we got to the destination we did.  

"We can only be used by God after we allow Him to show us the deep, hidden areas of our own character. It is astounding how ignorant we are about ourselves! We don’t even recognize the envy, laziness, or pride within us when we see it. 

We have to get rid of the idea that we understand ourselves. That is always the last bit of pride to go. The only One who understands us is God. The greatest curse in our spiritual life is pride.

As you journey with God, the only thing He intends to be clear is the way He deals with your soul. The sorrows and difficulties in the lives of others will be absolutely confusing to you. We think we understand another person’s struggle until God reveals the same shortcomings in our lives. There are vast areas of stubbornness and ignorance the Holy Spirit has to reveal in each of us, but it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone. Are we alone with Him now? Or are we more concerned with our own ideas, friendships, and cares for our bodies? Jesus cannot teach us anything until we quiet all our intellectual questions and get alone with Him." My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

Choosing to make a habit of getting alone with God and evaluating our daily lives will allow us to ask a few critical questions like; Why am I doing this? How do I feel about my choices and their outcomes?  Are my results lining up with my goals?  What is God saying to me?

I read Becky Tirabassi's book Let Prayer Change Your Life in 1999 and I never forgot the concept of a daily appointment time with God.  Becky talks about the opportunity to sit down with a world renown coach and how we would do anything for an hour of their time and here we have the ability to spend time with God any time we choose.  The amazing part of a quiet time with God that involves Bible reading and journalling is that after a year you've got a record of your progress and God's faithfulness. You will see how He answers prayers.

I have been journalling for years and it has helped me immensely.  Now I am doing a daily score card of the different areas I'm focusing on which allows me to write a few comments about how I feel at the end of the day.  If we truly want God to lead our lives then we have to consciously give him the reins.  This happens once we are saved, spirit led, sanctified, submissive and suffering for our Saviour.  

The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God you fear everything else. “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord”;…  The Highest Good—The Pilgrim’s Song Book, 537 L