Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Gospel Diagnostics

David Fairchild posts twenty questions to help us think through what our hearts are really treasuring.  He writes:

It [is] the loving responsibility for each of us to run gospel diagnostics to determine whether or not what motivates our heart and lives is “in step” with the gospel (Gal. 2:14).

Here are twenty gospel questions to ask ourselves:
(1) What is my greatest nightmare? What do I worry about most?
(2) What, if I failed or lost it, would cause me to feel that I did not even want to live? What keeps me going?

(3) What do I rely on to comfort myself when things go bad or get difficult?
(4) What do I think about most easily? Where does my mind go to when I am free? What preoccupies me?
(5) What prayer, unanswered, would make me seriously think about turning away from God?
(6) What makes me feel the most self-worth? What am I the proudest of?
(
7) What do I really want and expect out of life? What would really make me happy?
(8) What position of authority do I desire to give me a sense of power?
(
9) Whose opinion of me do I hold so dear that if lost I would be undone?
(10) What type of financial loss or gain would change my sense of security?
(11) What one criticism would cause me to respond in anger (wife, children, work, ministry, family, friends, etc.)? What am I most touchy about when brought to my attention?
(12) If I had ______________, then I’d be truly happy and feel as if my life has meaning and value.
(
13) If I lost ______________, I would be undone.

(14) I’m impatient because I’m ____________.
(15) I’m critical because I’m _____________.
(16) I’m angry because I’m _____________.

(17) I’m unhappy because I’m ____________.
(18) I’m in despair because I’m ____________.
(19) I have hope because I’m ___________.
(20) I feel worthy because I’m ___________.

These are only a few questions to help us be truthful with ourselves about the gospel. There is no benefit answering these questions with the “right” answers at the expense of the “true” answers (how we really feel and think).

You can read the whole article from which this list is taken here.

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