First, Look in the Mirror
God challenges us to examine ourselves before judging others.
A man prayed complainingly to Almighty God about a neighbor, saying, "O Lord, take away this wicked person." And God said, "Which?"
Self-examination in Christian preaching calls believers to reflect deeply on their spiritual state and conduct, urging honesty and repentance to align with God's will (2 Corinthians 13:5). Illustrations often use imagery of mirrors or personal reflection, highlighting the need to assess one's heart and life through God's truth (Psalm 139:23-24).
The Lapwing
Critics often hide their own faults by loudly exposing others' sins and errors.
"Usually complainers do least. The crafty lapwing will go up and down fluttering and crying, to draw the fowler from her own nest. We have some secret nest of our own, and we are loath it should be rifled and exposed to public view, and therefore we raise an alarm about other matters. This we may be doing without being aware of it, for self-deceit is easy: We may be amusing ourselves with zeal for political reforms when in truth our own personal habits need reforming, or we may be exclaiming against the errors of the church while our own private life far more needs our attention. It is a pity to be cheating our own selves. Our author, however, is very shrewd in his judgment of complainers. Our own experience leads us to the conclusion that critics of others, and noisy talkers of all kinds, have usually some design of their own, and are working to their own hand. If we were to press them home we should probably discover that they are no better than they should be. Their pretence of being wounded and hurt by the sins of others is a crafty scheme for drawing away observation from their own failings. Lapwings are plentiful enough all around us, and not a few are still deceived by their practices. O Lord, save me from all deceit, and, above all, prevent my deceiving myself."
Passing Ships At Sea
We often see others aging but fail to recognize our own approaching mortality and need for wisdom.
"When we are on board ship, if another vessel passes us at sea, we think that it is sailing more swiftly than we are. Though both ships are passing along at the same rate, we do not so clearly discern our own motion. In like manner we see that others are mortal, but we do not number our own days." This is an ordinary observation concerning that which is really an extraordinary piece of folly. What can it matter to us how other men's lives are going? Our main concern is our own conduct, and the spending of our own days. Come, friend, you too are getting old; snowflakes here and there upon those once raven locks are prophetic of coming winter. Those spectacles, too! "First sight," you say. Just so; but you were not once dependent on them. Why, you will never see fifty again! Half a century have you lived, and more: surely it is time to be wise, Friend Brown is getting quite the old man. No doubt; but you are moving onward, too. Brown does not get a year older in less time than you do. We are all sailing at the same rate. Is it not time that we took observations, and found out our longitude and latitude? At any rate, it were well to know what port we are bound for. Some have not even so much knowledge as this implies.
Comparison, Influence of
Noble people compare themselves to higher ideals, while mean people compare downward, fostering ambition.
A noble man compares and estimates himself by an idea which is higher than himself, and a mean man by one which is lower than himself. The one produces aspiration; the other, ambition. Ambition is the way in which a vulgar man aspires.
Curiosity, Objects of
People ignore their own faults but eagerly notice others' imperfections.
As old Lamia, who had eyes like spectacles, which she could take out and put in at pleasure, so soon as she came home, used to lock them up in her coffer, and sat down to her spinning as blind as a beetle, and never saw what she did in her own house, but no sooner went abroad than she put them in her head again to behold what other men did: in like manner we never look at our own imperfections, although they be as clear as the sun, and as big as a mill-stone; but we can quickly desery other men's vices, though it be at midnight, and they not so large as a pebble-stone. Caudray.
Dreams, Interpretation of
Dreams reflect a person's inner thoughts and character, revealing spiritual condition.
Many people find out more mysteries in their sleep than they can well expound waking. If they dream of a green garden, they shall hear of a dead corpse; if they dream they shake a dead man by the hand, then there is no way but death. It is superstition, folly, to repose any such confidence in dreams; but, if any man desire to profit by them, let him consider in what direction these usually carry him, so by his thoughts in the night, he shall learn to know himself by day. Be his dreams lustful, he may ask if his heart runs after concupiscence; are they turbulent, they may indicate a contentious disposition; are they revengeful, they point out malice; run they upon gold and silver, they argue covetousness. Generally, men answer to such waking, as their thoughts do sleeping. Spencer.
Examination, Daily
Daily self-examination cleanses the soul and promotes spiritual growth.
Seneca tells of a Roman that kept his soul as clean as the best housewife keeps her house; every night sweeping out the dust, and washing all the vessels, examining his own soul: "What infirmity hast thou healed? What fault hast thou done, and not repented? In what degree art thou bettered?" Then he would lie down, exclaiming, "With how welcome sleep, and how quiet rest, do I entertain the night!" It were to be wished that all men would do the like,—keep a daybook of all their actions and transactions with the world; commune with their own hearts; sum up the words and works of the day passed with an Omnia bene! as churchwardens were wont to do when they gave up their presentments: then would their night's rest be quiet, and they lie down in safety; for God himself would keep them. Spencer.
Life, Forced Review of
Reflecting on one's past life is like reviewing it from a new perspective.
A crazy man was found at a grindstone sharpening a large butcher-knife, and every now and then examining the edge to see if it was keen. "What are you doing here?"—"Don't you see? Sharpening this big knife."—"Yes; but what are you going to do with it when sharpened?"—"Cut old Ben. Brown's head off, to be sure."—"What! you won't kill him, will you?"—"Oh, no! I'll only cut his head off, and stick it right on again hind-side before, just to let the old fellow look back upon his past life. It would take him all the rest of his life to review."
Passions, Conquest of the
Daily examine and root out dominant passions with courage as a spiritual discipline.
Consider daily the passions which are bred in your heart, as a fisherman beholds the fishes swimming in the water, on purpose to catch them. Look on that which is most predominant within you, from what root it springeth, when it began, what progress it hath made, what rule it usurpeth ordinarily over your soul, what effects it produceth, whether it be more spiritual or temporal, what things you use to foment it; provide counsels and means to root it out; proceed to this with courage and fervor, as to the requisition of an incomparable good.
— N. Caussin
Reform, Partial
Partial reform ignores deeply held sins and fails true repentance.
Some men, when they attempt to reform their lives, reform those things for which they do not much care. They take the torch of God's word, and enter some indifferent chamber, and the light blazes in, and they see that they are very sinful there; and then they look into another room, where they do not often stay, and are willing to admit that they are very sinful there; but they leave unexplored some cupboards and secret apartments where their life really is, and where they have stored up the things which are dearest to them, and which they will neither part from nor suffer rebuke for. Beecher.
Self-Examination, Daily
Daily self-examination helps identify and amend faults for spiritual growth.
It is reported of Sextus, that, every night before he slept, he asked of his own heart, "What evil hast thou this day amended? what vice hast thou shunned? what good hast thou done? in what part art thou bettered?" Such review is always profitable.
Self-Examination, True
True self-examination measures how closely we reproduce Christ's character in life.
Around the chef-d'oeuvres in the galleries of Europe, artists are always congregated. You may see them standing before Raphael's Transfiguration, copying with the nicest care every line and tint of that matchless work; glancing constantly from their canvas to the picture, that, even in the minutest parts, they may reproduce the original. But if, at one side, you saw an artist who only looked up occasionally from his work, and drew a line, but filled in here a tree or a waterfall, and there a deer or a cottage, just as his fancy suggested, what kind of a copyist would you call him? Now, true self-examination lies in ascertaining how nearly we are reproducing Christ. He is painted for us in no gallery; but his life glows fourfold in the Gospels, and our hearts are the canvas upon which we are to copy it. Let us not take occasional glimpses, and work, meanwhile, upon earthly designs; but let us look long and earnestly till our lives reflect the whole divine image. Beecher.
Self-Examination, Urged
Self-examination is urgent because death reveals our true spiritual condition for judgment.
Remember that the time you have for self-examination is, after all, very short. Soon thou wilt know the great secret. I perhaps may not say words rough enough to rend off the mask which thou hast now upon thee; but there is one called Death who will stand no compliment. You may masquerade it out to-day in the dress of the saint; but Death will soon strip you, and you must stand before the judgment-seat after Death has discovered you in all your nakedness, be that naked innocence or naked guilt. Spurgeon.
Self-Knowledge, Importance of
Knowing oneself is a vital, ancient wisdom essential for moral and spiritual growth.
Know thyself is one of the most useful and comprehensive precepts in the whole moral system; and it is well known in how great a veneration this maxim was held by the ancients, and in how high esteem the duty of self-examination necessary to it. Thales the Milesian, the prince of the philosophers, who flourished about A.M. 3330, and was contemporary with Josiah, King of Judah, is said to be the first author of it, who used to say, that "for a man to know himself is the hardest thing in the world." It was afterwards adopted by Chyton the Lacademonian; and is one of those three precepts which Pliny affirms to have been consecrated at Delphos in golden letters. It was afterwards greatly admired and frequently adopted by others, till at length it acquired the authority of a divine oracle, and was supposed to have been given originally by Apollo himself; of which general opinion, Chetrogiros as this reason, "Because it hath such a weight of senso and wisdom in it as appears too great to be attributed to any man." And this opinion of its coming originally from Apollo himself perhaps was the reason that it was written in golden capitals over the door of his temple at Delphos.
— J. Mason
Watchfulness, Personal
Watching others requires first watching oneself to avoid hypocrisy and failure.
"When I was a boy," said an old man, "we had a schoolmaster who had odd ways of catching the boys. One day, he called to us, 'Boys, I must have closer attention to your books. The first one of you that sees another boy idle, I want you to inform me, and I will attend to the case.' — 'Ah!' thought I to myself, 'there is Joe Simmonds, that I don't like. I'll watch him; and, if I see him look off his book, I'll tell.' It was not long before I saw Joe look off his book; and immediately I informed the master. 'Indeed!' said he. 'How did you know he was?' — 'I saw him,' said I. 'You did! And were your eyes on your book when you saw him?' I was caught; and I never watched for idle boys again."
Youth, Portrait of
A symbolic portrait shows youth's blindness to folly and gradual awakening to error.
The ancients painted a young man stark naked, his eyes veiled, his right hand bound behind him, and his left hand left at liberty, and Time following him close at the heels, and ever and anon pulling a thread out of the veil. He was drawn naked to show with what little secrecy he had used his delights and pleasures; with his right hand behind him, to show that he did not do any thing right; his left hand free, to show that he did all things awkwardly. He was portrayed blind, because he does not see his own follies; but Time, behind him, opens his eyes little by little, and so brings him to a knowledge of his errors. Spencer
The Affecting Question
A simple question prompts self-examination and leads to conversion.
A number of intimate friends being at dinner together, on the Lord's day, one of the company, in order to prevent improper discourse, said, "It is a question whether we shall all go to heaven or not." This plain hint occasioned a general seriousness and self-examination. One thought, "If any of this company go to hell, it must be myself;" and so thought another, and another; even the servants, who waited at table, were affected in the same manner. In short, it was afterwards found, that this one sentence proved, by the special blessing of God upon it, instrumental to their conversion. What an encouragement is this to Christians, to give a serious turn to conversation, when in company! It should be observed, however, that the Lord's day was not instituted for the visiting and entertainment even of Christians. How is their conduct, who make a point of meeting and feasting on the Sabbath, to be distinguished from the Sunday parties of the profane? Our place of meeting, on that day, is the house of God; and our feast, the rich provisions of the everlasting gospel.