In the Old Testament book of Haggai, we read of a time when the people of God became careless in their relationship with Him.
Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.”
Haggai 1:3-7
Note that the recorded circumstance comes with a rebuke. Twice in the passage God says to the people, “consider your ways.” He urges them to reflect on what is happening both around them and in them. He exhorts them to evaluate their daily thoughts and actions based on what He has told them. And… He says it not once, but twice!
Words from our Creator. Words for us to pay attention to. For no matter our present-day level of spiritual maturity, each of us requires time to reflect on what is happening around us and in us. We also desperately need time to evaluate our daily thoughts and actions based on what He has told us.
Whether you are a veteran when it comes to this Discipline of reflection and evaluation or just starting out, here are practical ideas for making this Discipline of searching the soul one that you employ regularly and effectively.
5 Practical Ideas for Searching the Soul
MAKE IT A HABIT
To be most effective, the Discipline of searching the soul must become a regular habit in your life. Consider employing some proven strategies for helping this to come about.
Choose a regular interval that works for you (once a week, once a week, bi-monthly). Set a reminder alarm on your phone or block this time out on your master calendar. Another idea is to connect this time of soul searching to something you already do regularly. For example, take 5-10 minutes to reflect and evaluate each night as you prepare for bed, each morning while drinking your coffee, or annually at the start of a new year.
BE STILL
It is extremely difficult to think deeply when all around you is noise and activity. Therefore, it is a highly beneficial practice to reflect and evaluate during a scheduled time of solitude.
Depending on your current life circumstances, this may require a bit of planning and effort. Perhaps your soul searching would reap greater benefits after the children are in bed or while they are away at school. Silencing your notifications might be helpful if you are prone to responding to social media notifications immediately. Another option might be to clear your calendar quarterly or annually and get away to a quiet place for a couple of hours or more.
KEEP A PROPER FOCUS
Notice in the Haggai chapter one passage that God was concerned about the people’s carelessness in their relationship with Him. Note, as well, that the measuring stick for their reflection and evaluation was His Word, not their own opinion or that of someone else.
Too often when searching our soul, we supplant God as the focus. We reflect and evaluate with a “How did I do?” mentality. “Was I victorious in that situation?” “How can I gain the victory next time?” “What can I do?” “Why do I always blow it?”
Rather than being deeply concerned about our own personal victories, we would do well to acknowledge and understand that the sins we identify during our soul searching grieve the very heart of God. It is the Word of God that is the measuring tool of our personal reflection and evaluation, not our own opinions and standards.
INCORPORATE WRITING
There are many benefits to writing things out longhand. For example, the act of writing slows us down and quiets our soul. Writing with pen and paper helps us to focus. We are better able to concentrate and see what is going on behind the scenes. And the physical act of writing helps with recall and retention. When we write, the information is brought to the forefront of the brain triggering it to pay focused attention to what is being written.
To glean the greatest benefit from your times of searching the soul, learn to keep a self-reflection journal. This can be as simple as recording 2-3 bullet points from your reflection and evaluation. It can be organized into two columns titled “Reflections” and “Evaluations.” Or it can take the form of a diary or a prayer journal.
USE HELPFUL QUESTIONS
Just as some of us feel that we pray more consistently and specifically when we have a prayer prompt as guide, good questions can be a helpful tool when it comes to searching the soul.
Develop (or discover) a bank of good questions to use when engaging in times of self-reflection. Questions that ask for more than a simple yes or no. Questions that cause you to think deeply about what is happening around you and in you. Perhaps you might even select a handful of questions to revisit at regular intervals (New Year, your birthday, monthly, etc.).
Here are a couple of great ones to get you started:
- Have I grown in the last five years? In the last year?
- Do I love God more today than I did before?
