Lifestyle:Changes

Q: You recently mentioned living "an examined life." What exactly does that mean?

A: It means taking time to reflect on everything we say and do, analyzing them next to God's Word, and God's ways. It means that we're constantly look for virtues and strengths that we can lean into. And it means that we're constantly watching for sins and character flaws that need to be repented of ... and replaced with a virtuous opposite.

Romans 14:23 says that anything that "does not originate and proceed from faith is sin." Think about what that means.

Any action. Any choice. Any belief. Any value that's held. They must all originate from faith ... or they are to be considered as sin. Folks this is very serious indeed. It means that we must take everything to God in prayer. We must submit everything, every single dimension of our lives, to God. And we must then proceed based on His Word and His ways.

I don't have God's permission to do what I want. I never had that permission and I never will. Living an examined life means that I have to look my life and contrast it against God's will and His ways. Finally, I must make corrections to bring my life "into compliance."

Living an examined life requires each of us to sacrifice, looking for the high road in all aspects of how we make choices in life. We may