The Mirror of Truth – Examining Our Hearts
I want to invite you to a Lenten journey with me on these daily devotions of mine. For the next 40 days – including weekends, we’re going to do Lent With the Wesleys. Each day I will use a quote from John Wesley’s writing, or a lyric from a hymn written by his brother Charles, to give us a theme for the day. And I pray that this will be a special time – ultimately I am hoping to put this series into a book called Lent With the Wesleys.
So for the rest of this first week of Lent, let’s talk about self-examination and repentance – common themes of this season.
Wesley on Self-Examination
It may be that in your tradition Lent isn’t a thing. But maybe in your church you’ll go off to a service today and receive the sign of the cross in ashes on your head. One of the reasons we do this, to kick off this 40-day journey we’re on, is to symbolise that we have done some serious self-examination. Let me quote John Wesley in his sermon The Witness of the Spirit II: "Seriously and deliberately resolve to make use of the following means—and God will give you knowledge. First, the Word of God; second, prayer; third earnestly examine yourselves every day."
For Wesley, earnest self-examination was a daily spiritual discipline. And it’s likely that he was doing this in response to the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:5: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"
When last did you do some serious self-examination? The great Methodist preacher William Sangster wrote a pamphlet which he had at his church called A Spiritual Checkup. Listen to what he says in the pamphlet’s introduction:
“Wise people who can afford it have an occasional medical “check-up”. Normally it takes a few hours and a few guineas. The chief organs are tested and an expert opinion is given of the patient’s health. If disease or weakness is found, advice is offered on what the person should do. It is good for Christians to have an occasion spiritual “check-up”. One can take a couple of hours over it, and it will cost nothing but honesty. As a prelude to some new call to Christian service, or at the beginning of the New Year, or at the milestones of one’s life, nothing is better than to submit oneself to the Divine Physician.”
And the little booklet then challenges the reader to do some self-examination, asking yourself if you are an honest person of integrity in your affairs, if Christ would respect the way you do your work, if the people in your home see Christ in you, if your words are overly critical or judgmental or negative, if you’re committed enough to your church, if you’re displaying the fruits of the Spirit, and so on.
Value in Contemplating Our Heart’s State
Friends, Paul, Wesley, and Sangster all had it right. There is great value in some serious contemplation about the state of our hearts.
So take the time this Ash Wednesday, would you, to look within, and see where God might be asking you to make some changes. As you identify these things, repent of them, and resolve to walk in holiness with God’s help moving forward.
Whether you receive some ash on your head today or not, may it be that your heart gets a thorough looking over, so that you start this Lent honestly confessing and repenting, and God may do a great work in your life in this season.
