What Do You Really Love?
Our affections can so quickly and easily turn from Jesus to other things. Periodically, we need to stop and evaluate our priorities and values. Here is a list of some evidences that we may have left our “first love”. Place a check next to every symptom that is true of your life. Ask God to reveal what you really love.
LOVE OF SELF
“For men shall be lovers of their own selves…” (II Timothy 3:2)
___ I prioritize my time and finances to provide comfort, convenience, and luxury with which to indulge myself.
___ I get easily irritated when others interrupt or infringe upon my schedule, time, or plans.
___ I monopolize conversations by talking about myself, my problems, and my interests.
___ I become resentful or defensive when my reputation is attacked.
___ I am inflexible to changes or alterations in my plans.
___ I am unable to be transparently honest with others, to seek forgiveness, to identify or admit my failures.
___ I am demanding that others adjust their lives and schedules around me.
___ I insist that things always be done my way.
___ I communicate with a dogmatic, opinionated spirit.
___ I am insensitive to the physical or spiritual needs of those around me.
___ I am reluctant to sacrifice my time to minister to the needs of others.
___ I am seeking “the best”, “the first”, “the most” for myself.
___ I expect others to understand and accept me as I am, while being impatient with the failures of others.
___ I insist on my right to be happy and fulfilled.
LOVE OF PLEASURE
“…lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” (II Timothy 3:4)
___ I am more interested in talking about sports, hobbies, or television programs that about the Lord.
___ I am more interested in planning a vacation that in seeking out opportunities to grow spiritually and minister to others.
___ I devote more time, money, and effort to a hobby that to spiritually disciplining the lives of my children.
___ I enjoy spending hours watching television movies and videos, but I get bored listening to someone teach the Word of God.
___ I have a greater appetite for physical food than for the spiritual meat of God’s Word.
___ I am more excited about attending a church dinner that a prayer meeting.
___ I prefer sports activities, events, or programs over spiritual exercise in the Word and prayer.
___ I neglect or procrastinate difficult or distasteful responsibilities.
___ I spend more time reading secular magazines, books, or newspapers than reading and studying the Word of God.
___ I enjoy parties and jokes more than serious fellowship and interaction about spiritual matters.
LOVE OF MONEY
“For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with sorrows” (I Timothy 6:10).
___ I measure success by outward gain, rather than inward spiritual qualities.
___ I delight more in material riches than in spiritual riches.
___ I allow my job and making money to choke out time for God’s Word.
___ I adjust ethics to avoid financial loss.
___ I sacrifice friendships for financial gain.
___ I participate in “get-rich-quick” schemes.
___ I build my family around my job, instead of building my job around my family.
___ I work for retirement ease, rather than preparing for Christ’s return.
___ I verbalize ungratefulness or discontent with clothing, food, or home.
___ I am unwilling to be content with what God provides through the husband’s job.
___ I withhold my tithes and offerings from God.
___ I purchase unnecessary luxury items for myself, when a brother or sister is in need of basic food and clothing.
___ I am reluctant to make financial sacrifices to meet the needs of others.
___ I respond only to fervent appeals for money, rather than looking for opportunities to invest in the Lord’s work.
LOVE OF THIS PRESENT WORLD
“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world…” (II Timothy 4:10)
___ I am more concerned about my clothing and physical appearance than the development of lasting spiritual qualities.
___ I am more interested in news and current events than in the salvation of my friends, neighbors, and relatives.
___ I give greater thought to plans for my immediate future than to preparing myself and my family for heaven.
___ I seek to build my own reputation, rather than Christ’s.
___ I become engrossed in the affairs of daily life and forget to live each day in the light of the soon return of Christ.
___ I neglect spiritual disciplines that will help me to develop Christ-like character, attitudes, and responses.
___ I am filling my leisure hours with activities that will be meaningless in eternity.
___ I am more concerned about being happy than being holy.
___ I make plans to leave my material goods to my children, while failing to plan to leave them a spiritual heritage.
___ I am unwilling to get involved in a ministry that requires personal inconvenience or sacrifice.
___ I plan for retirement, rather than the return of Christ.