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Christianity Today, April, 2009 |

Self-Examination Time

Lent reminds us that the main problem with us is not them.

A Christianity Today editorial | posted 4/07/2009 08:31AM

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Augustine would have understood Haggard. Dallas Baptist University philosopher David Naugle writes, "[Augustine] grew up in a dysfunctional family, suffered through a childhood of unhappiness, was prone to theft and dishonesty, abhorred study and formal education, was virtually addicted to sex and food.… His life was unquestionably disordered."

Augustine's starting place in the search for truth is self-knowledge. When we learn that "man's heart" is "an abyss" where "the human race wanders blindly," our misery can open us to allowing God to reorder our loves and draw us toward him.

These are all healthy reminders for Lent. And it is good to recall that God's initiative and invitation is the foundation of any fortification against temptation. Augustine experienced God's call in a garden. Owen stressed that only through the Spirit can the flesh be mortified. Haggard, too, experienced the divine initiative.

"When I couldn't seek [Jesus] anymore, he came and got me. And boy, did my religious experience change.… Because before I thought, 'Seek the Lord. Seek the Scriptures. Seek all that.' But when he sought me, I was able to rest in his arms."

Related Elsewhere:

More editorials are available on our site. Christianity Today has a special section on Lent.

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April 2009, Vol. 53, No. 4

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Possie

Posted: April 14, 2009 12:17 PM


A nicely done article. Made me want to re-read The Screwtape Letters. There is so much that we learn about our frailty through self- examination. My heart goes out to Mr. Haggard, he appears more humble after his experience. I pray that he allows God to continue to shape him and use him mightily.

Dale Wolery

Posted: April 09, 2009 12:47 PM

Way to go! I appreciate the reminder to know ourselves intimately. Thanks. Perhaps an addtional thought or two? Most of us who had dysfunctional childhoods are not aware of how these sins done to us as children impact our current relationships or create a propensity for particular sins. Most of us who have wrestled with secret sins know what those sins are and have confessed them so often we are caught in the downward spiral of the sin--confess cycle. Despite knowing and confessing the sin for years, no substantive change occured for me until a crisis of disclosure and subsequent counseling. I suspect the same was true of Mr. Haggard. As clergy we resist the scrutiny of counseling and are left wrestling unsuccessfully with often confessed life dominating sins. The Holy Spirit told us to confess our sins to one another for healing. Our pride wants us to only tell God the truth. God wants us to tell the truth to safe helpful believers instead of living lives which lie.

turboman

Posted: April 08, 2009 8:31 AM


Wow! What a great reminder of the Truths captured in The Screwtape Letters! Thanks for the editorial that is an equally superior, if not better 'devotional'...however, I agree with "Romans 1"...not sure about the whole Oprah/HBO circuit.

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