The Examined Life

This message confronts us with a penetrating question: are we living an examined life, or are we simply drifting through our days like animals driven only by immediate needs? Drawing from Ephesians 5 and James 4, we're challenged to recognize that our time is limited—a mist that appears briefly and then vanishes. The wisdom literature urges us to number our days, not to become morbid, but to become intentional. We live in what Scripture calls 'evil days,' meaning the cultural current naturally sweeps us downstream toward values that contradict God's kingdom. Without deliberate effort, we absorb the world's priorities through our music, media, relationships, and entertainment. The call here is to wake up from spiritual sleepwalking and ask three transformative questions: What is quietly shaping me more than I realize? What areas of my life haven't I discussed with God recently? And what will be my ongoing rhythm of seeking His will? This isn't about guilt-driven resolutions that we abandon by February—it's about participating with God in the abundant life He offers. Second Peter reminds us that failure to pursue growth doesn't leave us stagnant; it leads to spiritual blindness. We are resurrection people, filled with Christ's riches, not doomed to repeat our past patterns but invited into exceedingly more than we can imagine.