2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Reprobates are those who drift so far they cannot be saved.
In businesses, there should be a yearly inventory. In doing so, they find the condition of their business whether it’s losing, gaining, or merely holding its own. Thus, the main purpose of an inventory is to determine whether a loss or gain has been realized. How many sold; how many on hand; how many more needed? Did we buy too much stock of something we shouldn’t have and not buy enough of other stock that was a good seller? Inventory is about removing old stock, things that didn’t sell and adding new stock that will sell better the next year. With employee theft as it is in America, the business owner wants to know how much was sold and how much was stolen? All this is with a consideration of the coming year, that the new year will be a better year.
SPIRITUAL INVENTORY
The wise Christian needs to “take stock” of his spiritual inventory as well. How much have I grown, how much do I need to grow, how much have I lost and how much did the devil steal? By taking inventory, we can determine our spiritual condition whether we are prospering or losing. This calls for introspection – a look inside.
WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
(2 Corinthians 5:18)
To reconcile is to count all the items and ensure what was on the books matched with what is actually in stock. We need to make sure the stock of our spiritual lives match what’s in God’s book? We reconcile ourselves to God and men.
SETTLE ACCOUNTS
At year end, most businesses attempt to reconcile all their accounts. If a customer owes them, they try to collect it. If they owe money, they will try to settle that account…. Likewise, the end of the year is a good time for us to look back on the past year (or longer, if necessary) and take inventory of our lives to ensure we don’t have any open accounts needing our attention.
EXAMINE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD AND MAN
Acts 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.
TAKING INVENTORY IS LOOKING BACKWARD AND FORWARD
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (perfection): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
In businesses, there should be a yearly inventory. In doing so, they find the condition of their business whether it’s losing, gaining, or merely holding its own. Thus, the main purpose of an inventory is to determine whether a loss or gain has been realized. How many sold; how many on hand; how many more needed? Did we buy too much stock of something we shouldn’t have and not buy enough of other stock that was a good seller? Inventory is about removing old stock, things that didn’t sell and adding new stock that will sell better the next year. With employee theft as it is in America, the business owner wants to know how much was sold and how much was stolen? All this is with a consideration of the coming year, that the new year will be a better year.
SPIRITUAL INVENTORY
The wise Christian needs to “take stock” of his spiritual inventory as well. How much have I grown, how much do I need to grow, how much have I lost and how much did the devil steal? By taking inventory, we can determine our spiritual condition whether we are prospering or losing. This calls for introspection – a look inside.
WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
(2 Corinthians 5:18)
To reconcile is to count all the items and ensure what was on the books matched with what is actually in stock. We need to make sure the stock of our spiritual lives match what’s in God’s book? We reconcile ourselves to God and men.
SETTLE ACCOUNTS
At year end, most businesses attempt to reconcile all their accounts. If a customer owes them, they try to collect it. If they owe money, they will try to settle that account…. Likewise, the end of the year is a good time for us to look back on the past year (or longer, if necessary) and take inventory of our lives to ensure we don’t have any open accounts needing our attention.
EXAMINE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD AND MAN
Acts 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.
TAKING INVENTORY IS LOOKING BACKWARD AND FORWARD
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (perfection): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
INVENTORY PERMITS PROGRESS
In a business, the knowledge gained in an inventory allows the owner to make decisions that will help the business grow. He cannot ride the wave of the past successes! He must look ahead and attempt to do even better! In our spiritual inventory, we must do those same two things, forgetting what is behind. No one can make progress if they are bogged down in their mistakes. Everyone has made mistakes in the past. Move on with God. Since inventory involves counting, it’s very appropriate to count our blessings.
INVENTORY CENTERS UPON GREATER THINGS
What business owner doesn’t hope, as he does his inventory, that his business will be even greater next year? Did Ray Kroc ever dream that McDonalds would be in every neighborhood in America? Sam Walton’s little five and dime store did pretty well for itself. He became the wealthiest man alive! Their secret: They learned from their mistakes and looked toward the future.
We have been called to receive a prize… eternal life! When our hope and our lives are centered around heaven, earthly things become unimportant. 2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
A LOOK AT THE PRESENT
Spiritual inventory not only includes a look backward and forward, but also involves a careful examination of our present lives.
In a business, the knowledge gained in an inventory allows the owner to make decisions that will help the business grow. He cannot ride the wave of the past successes! He must look ahead and attempt to do even better! In our spiritual inventory, we must do those same two things, forgetting what is behind. No one can make progress if they are bogged down in their mistakes. Everyone has made mistakes in the past. Move on with God. Since inventory involves counting, it’s very appropriate to count our blessings.
INVENTORY CENTERS UPON GREATER THINGS
What business owner doesn’t hope, as he does his inventory, that his business will be even greater next year? Did Ray Kroc ever dream that McDonalds would be in every neighborhood in America? Sam Walton’s little five and dime store did pretty well for itself. He became the wealthiest man alive! Their secret: They learned from their mistakes and looked toward the future.
We have been called to receive a prize… eternal life! When our hope and our lives are centered around heaven, earthly things become unimportant. 2 Corinthians 4:18 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
A LOOK AT THE PRESENT
Spiritual inventory not only includes a look backward and forward, but also involves a careful examination of our present lives.
ARE YOU DRIFTING
Two young men were fishing above a dam on a river near their hometown. As they were concentrating on catching fish, they were unaware that they had drifted until they were not far from the water flowing over the dam. When they realized their situation, the current near the dam had become too powerful for them to keep their boat from going over. Below the dam, the water was dashing with strong force over great boulders and through crevices in the rocks. Caught by the swirling waters under the rocks, they never came to the surface. After days of relentless searching, the divers finally found one body, and then, two or three days later, the other.
Sometimes we may be drifting and not even realize it. Let's take inventory.
Graphics by: jannoon028
Two young men were fishing above a dam on a river near their hometown. As they were concentrating on catching fish, they were unaware that they had drifted until they were not far from the water flowing over the dam. When they realized their situation, the current near the dam had become too powerful for them to keep their boat from going over. Below the dam, the water was dashing with strong force over great boulders and through crevices in the rocks. Caught by the swirling waters under the rocks, they never came to the surface. After days of relentless searching, the divers finally found one body, and then, two or three days later, the other.
Sometimes we may be drifting and not even realize it. Let's take inventory.
Graphics by: jannoon028
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