At the beginning of each new year it is a good time to take a look at your life and judge yourself of anything that you may have allowed to creep into your lifestyle that could stand in the way of your success in the future. Look at everything, personal habits, spiritual routines, financial stewardship, relationships with others, and most importantly, your relationship with the Lord. Shine the light of the Word on every area and make sure you are still operating in faith and love and have not opened the door to the enemy by growing lazy or negligent in your affairs.

Proverbs 27:23-24 gives us the wisdom to: "Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?" Malachi 2:15-16 twice repeats the admonition to "take heed to thy spirit". We must take a look at things to know where we stand and to know if there are any areas that need attention and adjustments.

2 Corinthians 13:5-6 insturcts us to , "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?"(from New International Version)

Every pilot has to have a check flight with an instructor periodically to make sure he has not slipped into any bad habits that could pose to be a danger to himself or to his passengers that may fly with him. The instructor is looking to see if the pilot is still doing the fundamentals, observing the basic principles and diciplines of flight that are required to insure he is operating the airplane in a safe manner. This is done for those who are flying a Cessna 152, or a Boeing 747; it is required of all. In fact, it becomes more important to the pilot who has tens of thousands of hours in the air than to the pilot that just got his private pilots license due to the reality that familiarity can breed contempt for routine and basic practices that everyone must observe.

How much more important is it for the believer to assess their spiritual habits and practices. The born-again believer is to live his entire life by the power of faith, have it sustained by faith, supplied by faith. Therefore, it becomes necessary to make sure that all the elements of a powerful and fruitful life of faith is being maintained on a ongoing basis.

I encourage you to take a look at your life and judge yourself in these areas. Be brutally honest with yourself and before God. Hold nothing back from the light of judgment. If you find you have slipped in some areas, don't condemn yourself, but repent and change. Ask for the Lord's help in making the changes that will result in increasing the effectiveness and fruitfulness of your life of faith. You will be glad you did!