Biblical Self-Examination: Questions for Growth
Thomas Chalmers, a Scottish pastor in the 19th century, compared self-examination to searching in a dark room. We cannot see what is in the darkness until we open the curtains and let the light in. Biblical self-examination is the process of letting the light of God’s Truth guide our reflections.
We cannot see ourselves accurately by focusing solely on ourselves.
Chaos and confusion abound within. We can only see ourselves as we are in the light of God’s Word.
With this in mind, today we’ll discuss the concept of biblical self-examination as we explore questions for growth.
Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God.
Biblical Self-Examination
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Self-examination is a biblical concept, but we can be swept too far into this introspection. We need to always examine ourselves in the light of God’s truth, keeping the Gospel at the center of our examination.
Let’s use God’s Word as a guide for examining ourselves.
Biblical Self-Examination: Questions for Growth
1. How often am I confessing my sins and receiving God’s forgiveness?
1 John 1:9 reads, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (ESV).
One key for spiritual growth is allowing God to search us and reveal sinful patterns. We grow when we confess these sins to God and ask him to help us grow through repentance, turning away from sinful behaviors and turning toward him.
2. Am I finding my value in God’s love for me or in something else?
Romans 5:8 reads, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
It’s easy to get caught in the trap of trying to find our worth through our work, our relationships, or other things of this world.
Our worth was established, once and for all, when our loving heavenly Father sent his beloved Son to die in our place. When we grasp his love for us, we are free to live and love freely, not needing to find our worth through anything apart from God.
3. Where have I been trying to prove myself?
Galatians 2:20 reads, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Most of us face the temptation to try to prove ourselves through certain characteristics or accomplishments. God wants us to rest in his love and then go into the world with nothing to prove. Does this describe your life?
If not, talk to God about it.
4. What good work do I long for God to complete in my life?
Philippians 1:6 reads, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Do you ever feel like your life isn’t turning out the way you hoped it would? God wants you to trust that as long as you are on earth, he is not finished writing your story. Take some time to talk to him about the parts of your story that don’t make sense to you right now.
Do you trust that he will bring this story to completion in his perfect timing?
5. Father, search my heart and reveal anything that offends you.
Psalm 139:23-24 read, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
I try to pray this prayer every morning.
I ask God to show me any sins from the previous 24 hours and confess those sins to God.
This biblical self-examination question can radically transform our lives if we commit to following God.
6. Have I been judging myself or others rather than leaving judgment to God?
Romans 8:1 reads, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior are not condemned. Do you need to deal with the shame or guilt attached to any sins of your past or present?
Have you been judging someone else? Do you need to leave this person in God’s hands?
7. Am I increasingly bearing the fruit of the Spirit?
Galatians 5:22-23 reads, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
A good way to examine ourselves is to study these characteristics. If we are not growing in these characteristics, we can ask God to help us.
More Questions for Biblical Self-Examination
8. Do I hate the sin in my life?
God hates sin. We are in alignment with him when we hate the sin in our lives. 1 John 3:4 reads, “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.”
Have you been pushing back against sinful behaviors and attitudes or embracing them? What is God showing you?
9. Have I been resisting the devil?
When we resist the devil, he flees from us. James 4:7 reads, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
We resist him by speaking God’s Word, aiming to avoid sinful behaviors, and staying close to God.
10. Have I lost sight of God’s vision, or am I staying in step with the Spirit?
Galatians 5:25 reads, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
It’s easy to begin new endeavors with a clear sense of God’s vision and purpose but lose sight in time. Where have you lost sight of God’s vision for you?
11. Am I more loving than I was six months ago?
We are called to demonstrate God’s love by loving others. Have you been having a difficult time loving others?
Ask God to help you be a living embodiment of his love?
John 13:34-35 reads, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
12. Is my relationship with God my highest priority?
Deuteronomy 6:5 reads, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Above all else, God wants a relationship with you. Is this relationship a priority to you? What holds you back from responding to God’s pursuit?
13. What is hindering my walk with God?
We all face hindrances to our spiritual growth and our relationship with God. Hebrews 12:1 reads, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
Ask God to show you what is hindering you, and he will reveal it.
14. Am I living in the light with other believers?
We also grow by living in close relationships with other followers of Christ. James 5:16 reads, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
Do you have an inner circle of trusted friends or loved ones who help you stay close to God?
If not, ask God to lead you to even one friend who can help you on this journey.
If these questions for biblical self-examination were helpful, I invite you to explore our family devotionals and library of free eBooks and devotionals below. Be blessed as you seek the Lord!
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Be Still and Trust: Download Your Free eBook Here
Do you long to find space to draw near to God while struggling to make this practice a regular part of your life? The secret is establishing a daily rhythm that makes this time habitual, a routine that becomes as natural as eating, drinking, and sleeping. Be Still and Trust offers daily devotions for those who long for rest and renewal—devotions for peace in our hurried and stress-filled lives.
These short devotions are invitations into God’s rest when facing the daily battles that tend to steal our peace. Download it for free right here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
