p. 4 | Self-Examination by G. B. T.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 9, 1916

Self-Examination

By G. B. T.

THE apostle Paul exhorts, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Cor. 13: 5. We are to examine ourselves, not others. Some men, professed Christians, are very active in examining others. Defects are found, and commented upon. But, my brother, have you any defect? Do you make any mistakes? Are you perfect? If you are imperfect, how can you feel free to climb on the throne and judge others? It is those who are without sin who are to throw stones at other people.

Self-examination is all right. We can deal with ourselves as critically as we please; and we can do this much more understandingly than we can investigate and dissect the characters of others. We know our own failures; we do not understand others. We cannot read the heart; God alone can do this; we should not try. But with the wickedness and deceitfulness of our own hearts we can deal intelligently. Its depravity we can examine, and on our knees before God we can confess our sins and implore him to cleanse the soul.

But it is much easier to deal with other people's shortcomings than with our own.

“So easy to say what another should do, So easy to settle his cares, So easy to tell him what road to pursue, And dispose of the burdens he bears. It is easy to bid him be brave and be strong, And to make all his shortcomings known; But oh, it’s so hard when the care and the wrong And the dangers we face are our own!

“It is easy to stand in the other man’s place When our comforts of life are assured, And the sting of the rain beating sharp in his face By him must be bravely endured. It is easy to tell him the path he should take And bid him laugh at his care, But oh, it’s so hard when it’s our hearts that ache, And we have the burdens to bear!

“We all know the things that another should do, His faults are like books on our shelves; We can ponder them over and read and review, But we haven’t a book on ourselves. We can settle the other man’s problems each day, His griefs we can calmly discuss; It is easy to sweep all his troubles away, But we can’t do the same thing for us.

“The need of another it’s easy to see When our own wants are all satisfied; Brave and courageous it’s easy to be When it isn’t our souls that are tried. But oh, it’s so hard when we’re stumbling along, To keep ourselves steadfast and true! It is easy to tell some one else to be strong. It’s easier to talk than to do.”

How kindly and gently we should deal with others! We should try to place ourselves in their position, and as far as possible carry their burdens and sorrows. God is judge; he looks at the motives of the heart, and weighs our needs in the balances of love. If one is in error, we should first go to him, and in kindness and love seek to enlighten him upon the point on which we may think he is making mistakes. When we get his view of the question, we may discover we have been grievously mistaken, and been guilty of misjudging. Then, too, we should consider ourselves at the same time, and be sure that while we may not be erring on that point, we are not failing on some other point equally sinful in the sight of God. Let the golden rule be our guide.

G. B. T.