A New Year's Test
By Dr. Roger Vogel

II Cor. 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-- unless indeed you are disqualified.”

   The beginning of a year is always a good time to examine ourselves, be honest with ourselves and with God about our spiritual condition.  In fact, each new day is a good time to examine ourselves.
        Galatians 6:4 “But let each one examine his own work, and then         he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.”
        I Corinthians 11:28 “But let a man examine himself, and so let   him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”
   As I thought about these admonitions and the new year, I was reminded of the 22 questions members of John Wesley’s Holy Club asked themselves each day in their private devotions over 200 years ago.  These are still good questions to ask ourselves in 2010:

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am?  In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give it time to speak to me every day?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisee who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard?  If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ Real to me?