Assessment-Sometimes we all need to conduct a honest, biblically based assessment or evaluation of our lives. This assessment should include a hard look at our thoughts, feelings and behaviors as well as our strengths and weaknesses. Doing so can help us to identify those areas in our lives that if not dealt with now can cause us problems latter in our lives.

Unfortunately, some of us have been hurt so much in our past that we equate any situation or person that points out a flaw in our lives as the enemy when this is not always the case.  Don’t lie to yourself about yourself and don’t let other people lie either. Face up to your mistakes, realize your triggers, identify the doors in which the enemy can come in, set up precautions and yield to the Lord.

Not being honest about who you are can put you in a situation in which you are blindsided or leave a door open for the enemy to come in. When you ignore or minimize problems, it prevents you from being honest with yourself. It’s ok to want to believe the best about other people or ourselves, but to do so while overlooking blatant character issues or habits is not wise. How many people are in martial counseling now over issues that should have been dealt with before they got married but instead they ignored the issue, convinced themselves that they were different from other people, or told themselves that they could change the person.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about confrontation of issues not ignoring them. The Lord loves you flaws and all which is why He came to redeem us back to Himself. His spirt will lead and guide us into all truth but we have to ask Him for the power to be honest and to repent. Don’t minimize, overlook or make excuses.  You don’t have to do that, because the Spirt of God in you can handle you.  Some people minimize problems, shortcomings or weaknesses because they feel that by identifying problems they are somehow being disloyal to the person, to God or to themselves. Don’t do that.  Identify your triggers, bring them to the cross and be free. Not being honest keeps you in bondage to your flaws and puts you in a situation in which you are pretending to be something that you are not. For example, how many people are dealing with lust, anger and fear but who are going to church Sunday after Sunday pretending to be free. Don’t pretend when you can be free in Jesus. When you are honest the enemy can’t keep you in bondage with fear. Fear that people will know what you are thinking, fear that you will say the wrong thing, fear that people will not understand, fear that you don’t fit in, fear of judgement etc. The key to walking in the liberty in which Jesus Christ has made you free is to be honest. Remember a Biblically based assessment is not afraid to look at both the good and bad, a biblically based thought pattern does not walk around only looking at the good in life or thinking positive, instead a Biblically based mindset takes into account both the good and evil and biblically takes an honest look at what needs to be changed.

Trigger – anything, as and act or event, that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions (http://www.dictionary.com/browse/trigger)

Proverbs 26:2

 As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.

1 John 2 1-3