Who is the easiest person for you to deceive? You are. Can you be too wrapped up in your own life to see it clearly? Is it possible not to be? The Bible passages about communion teach you to examine yourself when you partake of this sacrament. You can see that this is appropriate, but how do you carry it out? How do you put enough distance between your acting self and your observing self to get an objective evaluation? I promised that my sons (and daughters) would be led by the Spirit. Can you submit to a spiritual observation from beyond yourself to get accurate results?

Can failure ever be a success? Have you ever built your own redemption project by your own initiative end effort? You may know better than to call it this, but if it fits this functional description and you depend on it then you have done so. How did that work out for you? This cannot be a success. When it fails it is time to admit that you can’t engineer your own redemption project. What then? If this causes you to realize that your own resources are not sufficient and to look outside of yourself and come to me for your redemption then your failure will have become a success.

Do you get to choose your own faith? There are a multitude of options and in a secular culture that has a strong bias for freedom and personal choice it should be easy to find something you like. But what would be the criteria for selection? With no limitations could you end up with something that you just made up? Is your faith something that you choose, or that chooses you? If it is entirely your project, then who is God? Where is the striving for self-transcendence if it is all of your own making?

Do you ever feel that you are subject to constant correction? Do you find this discouraging? You provide constant correction when you drive a car and don’t think twice about it. You know that driving a car is a dynamic act that requires diligence. You can’t leave the wheel in a constant position in the direction of your destination. You steer to follow the road and don’t feel judged or condemned for doing so. Can you apply this same principle to your spiritual life? If you cease to be corrected you cease to grow. Can you welcome the process knowing it is for your benefit?