DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONALS: DECEMBER 3 SELF EVALUATION (1) SCRIPTURE: 1 THESSALONIANS 5: 21 – 22

By definition, evaluation amongst other meanings by Net Dictionary is to determine the importance, effectiveness, or worth of something. The thrust of this devotional is the ability to look inward of self and determine the importance of yourself as a person, the effectiveness of you being alive and how much you are contributing to the world around you. You have to evaluate yourself to note how worthy you are to your very self so as to see how greatly you are blessed with skills, talents, wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Many people find it difficult to know their self-worth in life. They hardly find in themselves what good they are made of and hold fast to it. The lead text today says: “But examine everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil (1 Thess. 5: 21 – 22 New American Standard Bible).

Ability to determine everything that comes on our ways and seeing that which is good in us helps in diverting our minds from thinking evil things._ The advantage here is that such behaviour allows us be in happy moods always. Those who commit suicide took the last step into hanging themselves or taking poison on concluding that nothing good is left for them anymore. If we Christians can think carefully to determine the good things around us, we will know how faithful and good God is to us. Many people live with occupying their minds with works of the devil, pressures from evil friends or seeing every sickness that comes upon them as arrows sent from the pit of hell. A Christian minded person knows that in all things that happen to him/her. God has well packages that for them latter.

We can never know the God we serve until we are able to determine His good intentions in the midst of our afflictions. As contains in John 11: 1, 4, Jesus Christ said that the sickness of Lazarus which got to the point of his death was to the glory of God. Jesus first told His Disciples that He would go to Bethany to see Lazarus who was sick to the point of death. At another time He told them that Lazarus has died (John 11: 14); but He must get to him. One of the Disciples said if Lazarus is dead, there is no need to go there again. The person who was dead and buried for four days was brought back to life. This episode added greater value to the name of God and His power over death. Fellow Christians, can we, in this December month, be faithful and practical to examine things around us with only hope of seeing the good embedded in our struggling in life?

PRAYER:

Pray and ask God to always give you positive mind that can examine things around you and fish out the good side of things in your life in Jesus name.

bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch