Be Honest with Yourself

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. —James 1:22

If we truly want to experience revival, one of the first prerequisites is humility. This requires a level of honesty that doesn’t come naturally. We need to be willing to be honest not only with God and others but with ourselves. We can convince ourselves that we’re good Christians and we’re living the Christian life. We may know a lot of truth, but are we living it?

Here are some questions to help us evaluate whether we’re being honest with ourselves:

• Are there truths in God’s Word that we preach to others but don’t practice in our own lives?
• Do we ignore God’s Spirit or His Word when we’re convicted of sin?
• Do we have an inflated view of our gifts and our value to God and others?

Turning from deception and telling ourselves the truth is one of the first steps to revival. Ask God to show you any areas where you’re not walking in the light with Him, with yourself, or with others. Then thank Him for His grace and power to cleanse and revive honest hearts.