Honesty: Silence is Not Always Golden

Today at Bible Study we were in the Honesty chapter of "Seeking Him - Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival."  Below are more self-assessment questions that were given to us.  We were asked to prayerfully respond to the questions, allowing the Holy Spirit to examine our hearts. 

Honesty with God 
 
"Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts" - Psalm 51:6

• Do I often participate in corporate praise and prayer while my heart is cold, indifferent, or resistant to the Lord?
• Are my prayers honest?  Do I say words that I think will impress God, or do I honestly communicate my real feelings and desires to Him?
• Do I honor Him with my lips when my mind and heart are far away?  What am I really thinking about when I pray?
• When called upon to pray in public, am I more aware of God's presence or the fact that others are listening to what I say?
• Do I serve God out of a heart of genuine love and devotion, or do I have a subtle, secret desire to be noticed and applauded?
• Do I volunteer for service and good works to glorify God or impress others? 
• Am I quick to agree with God when His Spirit convicts me of sin, or do I tend to rationalize, justify, and defend myself?
• Do I see my sin as God sees it, or do I tend to think in terms of "weaknesses," "problems," "slip-ups," or "personality quirks?"
• Do I love the truth so much that I actively and regularly ask God to search my heart and to reveal anything that is displeasing to Him?

Honesty with Myself 

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" - James 1:22
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" - 1 Jn. 1:8
"If anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself" - Galatians 6:3

• Are there truths in God's Word that I know in my head or that I "preach" to others but am not practicing in my own life?
• Do I ignore, resist, or deny the conviction of God's Spirit or His Word in relation to my sin?
• Do I think more highly of myself than what God knows me to be?  Do I have an inflated view of my gifts and my value to God and others?

Honesty with Others

"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor; for we are members one of another" - Ephesians 4:25

• Do I sometimes see to create a better impression of myself than is honestly true?
• Do I often leave others with the impression that I am more spiritually mature and committed than is actually true?
• Am I allowing my mate to believe that I am morally pure and faithful when I have failed morally?
• Am I covering up sins of my past rather than dealing with them biblically?
• Am I hiding specific sins or failures from my mate, a parent, a teacher, or an employer?
• Am I guilty of speaking graciously to others while harboring hatred or bitterness in my heart toward them?
• Do I put walls up to keep people from seeing the "real me"?  Am I willing to let others into my life-to be honest about my spiritual needs, to ask for prayer about those needs, and to be accountable to others for areas where I need to grow or change?