PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

The way of our victory is not through a constant, unceasing analysis of ourselves. Rather, it is to look away unto Jesus. It is not the removal of evil thoughts, but the retention of good thoughts; it is not the eradication of something in ourselves, but yielding to the infilling of Christ in us to the extent that we completely forget about ourselves. Whenever we think back on ourselves, our steps are immediately halted. The Bible does not tell us to consider how we run. Rather, it tells us to run by looking away unto Jesus. If we turn to examine ourselves, we will see that we are in a fog; the more we examine, the more we become unclear. If we look away unto Jesus, we will naturally be able to run well.

...The apostle Paul did not care how others judged him. He did not even judge himself. He said, "Do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then there will be praise to each from God" (1 Corinthians 4:5). Paul knew that only when the Lord shines His light can anyone know what is right and what is wrong. If a Christian repeatedly considers himself, he surely will fail. He will be proud and consider himself better than his companions when he thinks that he has no fault. He will be discouraged and see no way out when he thinks about his faults. If our self-knowledge comes from the shining of God, then the results will be different.

THE PROPER WAY

Since the Bible does not tell us to examine ourselves, what then is the way for us to know ourselves?

Let us read Psalm 26:2, "Examine me, O Jehovah, and try me; / Test my inward parts and my heart." And Psalm 139:23-24b, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: / Try me, and know my thoughts: / And see if there be any wicked way in me." These two portions of the Scripture tell us the proper way to know ourselves. We do not need to strive in self-examination.... Rather, the way is to ask God to search us and to try us. Only when God searches us and tries us can we have accurate knowledge concerning ourselves....

These portions of the Scripture tell us that if we want the knowledge concerning ourselves, we must ask God to tell us His knowledge about us. This is the most accurate knowledge. God knows us more clearly and more accurately than we know ourselves. Everything is naked and open before Him. He sees and knows even the most hidden part of our heart, which we are not able to feel or analyze by ourselves. When we have His sight, then we will not be fooled and we will know our real condition.

(Watchman Nee, Collected Works, Set 1, Vol. 9, pp. 217-226)

APPLICATION

1. In your own words answer the question: "Does the Bible command Christians to examine themselves?"

2. Why is it dangerous for a Christian to seek to know himself through the process of self-examination?

3. What is the proper way that the Bible shows us that we may know ourselves?