Live, learn, be free

Spiritual Inventory

An inventory usually takes stock of what you have and don't have.  Stores, businesses and factories take inventory.  But we can also use inventories to take stock of our spiritual lives.

We start our inventory by looking at what we have.  Look at your family, friends, home, job, children.  You can also look at your possessions, your talents and even your relationships.  You won't probably be surprised with what you come up with for these inventories.  Most of us know what we have in these arenas. 

Sometimes we start to look at all the things we have and we start to think we have done alright for ourselves.  We think we have done all this for ourselves.  We are wrong to think we got everything we have on our own.

When we start to take stock of what we don't have then we will really be surprised.  We can soon realize that we don't have it all.  Take stock of your security, happiness, contentment, patience, trust and peace.  What do you see?  Is this inventory list empty, or do you have some of these on the shelf?

Sometimes the things we don't have tend to outweigh the things we have.  We know we don't have a right standing before God.  Our relationship with our Heavenly Father is suffering.  Don't let pride get in the way, take inventory of the right stuff.  God wants to have a relationship with you don't shut him out.

RESPECT

Everybody wants respect.  The problem is not everybody is willing to give respect.  Many times the problem is that people don't even respect themselves.  It is a problem and something we need to deal with as humans.

God wants us first and foremost to respect Him.  If we respect God,then everything else will fall into place  Once we decide to respect God and honor His commands then we need to respect ourselves.  This is where a lot of people get hung up. 

Many people do not respect themselves enough to say no to themselves.  This is why we have unfaithfulness, and other trust issues.  If you do not respect yourself you will have no self control.  Self discipline is what keeps you in check with yourself.  If you respect yourself then you will say no to something that you know is wrong.  After we learn to respect ourselves then we need to respect others.

I'm sure you have heard the Aretha Franklin song.  If we show others respect, they will show us respect in return.  We learn from each other.  It's like the golden rule, do unto others as you would have done unto you.  Parents struggle with this.  They say, well little Johnny does not show me respect so I won't respect him.  Little Johnny says Dad does not respect me so I won't show him respect.  It has to start somewhere.  Don't you agree, that if we showed respect to those around us, this would be a different place?

Start today by asking God to show you how to respect Him, yourself and others.  Respect is a path that begins in your heart.  It is not an easy choice but it is something you have to choose.  Make the choice that will change your heart and the hearts of those around you.  Respect God, yourself and others.