Examine Your Conscience

Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be— you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean.  Count yourself lucky—  God  holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from him.  When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans.  The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up.  Then I let it all out; I said, "I'll make a clean breast of my failures to  God ." Suddenly the pressure was gone— my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared. (Psalm 32:1-5 MSG)

Sometimes the Message Version just says it all so well and so plainly.  This passage tells us just how important a regular examination of conscience, confession and forgiveness is.  Think about what blockages in your body do to your physical health.  It can kill you if it is not dealt with.  An unexamined conscience and unconfessed sin is a blockage too.  It blocks the vital flow of communication between ourselves and God.  And it can be spiritually fatal if not dealt with.

The Via de Cristo Pilgrims Guide book has a wonderful tool to use for this purpose.  It walks the reader through every aspect of their life in relationship to God.  It can take a while if it's done thoroughly, but it helps to see those areas in our lives where we are putting our own needs and desires over those of others and above our relationship with God.   If you don't have this tool, I am happy to share with you if you ask.

But there are other tools....
I found this one online:  http://synodresourcecenter.org/theo/faith_issues/0003/0001/exam_conscience.html

Or you could use the Ten Commandments.  But you have to dig a little deeper than a first glance at them.  "You shall not kill" means far more than commiting first degree murder.  "You shall not commit adultry" covers a lot more than physically cheating on your spouse.  A good resource to help you get deeper would be The Small Catechism and Martin Luther's explanation of the Ten Commandments.  You can find it here:  http://www.lutheran.co.uk/docs/Small%20Catechism.pdf

It is good to use some kind of guide to help you in confession.  We often have habitual sins that we are not even aware are sins until we see them under the light of spiritual guidance.  Take time today or very soon to do and examination of conscience.  your spirit will be so much lighter and healthier for it!

Father,
Forgive us for neglecting our spiritual health by trying to hide our sin from you.  You offer only a healthy soul and freedom from the burden of guilt.  Amen.

Joys:  a quiet evening at home; a couple of days off to get some things done... like taxes!; almost time for Daylight Savings Time and longer days!