HOW FAR AND HOW WELL?
Genesis 30:25-30
Appraisal and evaluation are two words that can be used interchangeably. To be successful in life, one must take time to appraise and/or evaluate one’s progress and/or lack of it. Appraisal involves taking a critical look at a situation to see if it has achieved its desired aims; does the end justify the means! Are the outputs commensurable with the efforts and inputs into the matter? Succinctly put, it is an act of assessing something or someone. It is to look at progress, aims, impact and future progress. Appraisal is done mostly for employees before they can be promoted or considered for higher positions.
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 1 Cor. 10: 11-12
The above scripture challenges us to give ourselves critical spiritual appraisal. As a child of God, one thing you must do periodically is evaluate your spiritual standing. Are you standing walking or crawling? Or you are sitting down remaining on one spot? Not moving forward or backwards? In the spiritual realm, there is no sitting on the fence. You are either for or against. You are either going forward or moving backwards. You either progress or retrogress.
It will do you well to appraise yourself from time to time. Of necessity, you must ask yourself how far have I gone? How well am I on the journey? Are things up to my expectations? Does my present status justify my past efforts? If I continue like this, where will it land me in a few years? Jacob looked at his life in Laban’s house and was not satisfied with the results. He cried out: when will I prepare for my own house! You can appraise yourself using these instruments. The first is the word of God.
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. James 1: 21-25
Let the word be your mirror. When an average individual looks at a mirror, he is expected to adjust whatever the mirror shows him as not appropriate. In the same vein, if you let the Word be your mirror, it has the capacity to show you your real standing. Another way of appraising yourself is to look back and trace your spiritual journey. Are you praying or evangelizing as before? Have you made progresses or just marking time? Your character? Is it in conformity with Christian expectations? Have you started tolerating what you used to despise or condemn as a believer? Take heed, lest you fall.
Finally, the place of prayer is the place of evaluation. You can’t truly appear before God sincerely in prayer and you won’t be naked before him. The Holy Spirit will show you who you are. He will correct and guide you to the next level. If you listen to him and do his bidding, you will see yourself moving from one level to higher level on and on. Appraisal is key to forward and higher movement whether spiritually or secularly. Do it periodically and your life will not remain the same.
MEDITATION: Genesis 30:30
