Examination of Conscience (Ephesians 4:25-32)

In addition to other sins we can think about easily during an examination of conscience, these verses are some we should pray through as well. You already know if you have gone to Mass on Sunday. But have you grieved the Holy Spirit (verse 30)? Did you let your Bible remain closed as you read through another novel? Did you say “I don’t have time for prayer this morning” after you scrolled through social media for 30 minutes? Did you allow worldly things to take you away from time with God?

Have you been generous with your time with your spouse? Have you paid attention to their concerns and put away falsehoods (verse 25)? Have you allowed resentment and bitterness towards your spouse to take root (verse 26)? Or allowed for misunderstandings to cause anger or mistrust? Have you manipulated your spouse to get your own way?

Have you spoken sharply or sarcastically to your spouse, children, friends, family, etc. (verse 29)? Have you spoke in a demeaning way? Have you injured someone through taunting or teasing? Have you gossiped about your spouse? Your children? Have you undermined the authority and dignity of your spouse? Have you undermined the role of authority in the eyes of your children by speaking negatively against God, the Church, your spouse, or others who hold authority over them?

Have you cared for the spiritual needs of your children? Have you taught your children the gospel and commandments? Have you prayed with them? Have you disciplined when necessary? Have you been lazy and apathetic? Have you taught them forgiveness (verse 32)?  Have you been a good Christian witness in all that you do?

Have you been frustrated or impatient with your spouse, children, family, etc (verse 27)? Have you treated them with respect? Have you fostered hatred toward “political” enemies? Have you been prejudiced towards others because of race, color, religion, or social status?

Have I lied about my work? Have I been lazy in my job, calling, or ministry? (verse 28)

These are some really deep, thoughtful and soul searching questions. Any yeses here requires asking forgiveness. I actually have a questionnaire on my phone that I keep to do a deep examination before I go into confession. Sometimes we don’t realize the little things we have done because we keep focus on the big ones. Paul reminds us that if we are in a new life in Jesus, then we should turn from all the old ways. That includes turning away from anger, lying, falsehoods, cheating the system, using foul language, and taking time away from the Holy Spirit to enjoy worldly desires. 

Put on a New Self (Ephesians 4:17-24)

Ephesians 4:22-24 that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth. 

I went through a rough patch in my life. I said I believed in God, and I did, but I certainly didn’t follow my spiritual teachings. I followed my desires, clung to the things of the world. Drinking, relationships outside of marriage, sloth, envy. I lived there. I thought I could get by my sinful ways by just asking God “if you let this happen, I promise I will straighten my life up.” And it seemed to work, so I kept on in those ways, just figuring I could ask for forgiveness later. Well, it caught up to me eventually. I kept asking, “if I could not get pregnant, I’ll stop being intimate with this person.” And 3 weeks after getting engaged, I found out I was pregnant. (close to) Top of the class, goody-two-shoes, Catholic girl got pregnant before she was married. Definitely not a good way to represent the church.

It took a long time after having my baby before I leaned into the pull towards God. I was so angry for a while, mostly at myself, for being a hypocrite. How can I call others to God when I made this mistake? Well. Not a mistake.  It I definitely got called out on my sin. Can’t pretend to be a good follower in the front row of church pregnant and unwed. Can’t be a church leader/grower when you didn’t follow the rules yourself.

But I learned later that I still could! I still could be a follower of Christ. I had to just forgive myself, turn back to God, shed my previous way of life. I renewed my mind, and let God have all of me. This all started when my baby, who wasn’t a baby because she was going into 2nd grade, was getting ready for First Communion. How can I lead her to Christ if I wasn’t showing the right examples? So I started learning, asking questions, reading, researching. God moved us to a new town for my husband’s job, and put me in the path of some really awesome Catholic women, and they helped me grow. Now, years later, I am helping lead others. 

It wasn’t easy turning away from the desires of the world. I always felt like people would still think of me as being hypocritical. Like, how could you tell me o live when you made your own mistakes.  I did, but I turned from them. I want better for my children, so I have to live it. I want a better world for their children, so I have to help build it. We all need to build up the church that Christ gave us, and to do that we need to turn from our old ways. Like a butterfly, we have to shed our old self and embrace the new.

We are one Body (Ephesians 4:8-16)

Ephesians 4:15-16 Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body’s growth and builds itself up in love

In the previous verses, Paul explains that Jesus gave some of the people specific gifts so they can help set a solid foundation for the church. He uses the phrase “build up the body of Christ.” He didn’t mean a physical building. The first saints that Jesus gave specific jobs in his ministry were to help build up the Church, so that people could have the unity of faith in God. His call was to strengthen the faith and belief. To help others mature in Christ. When the church continues to help its body mature and grow together, where every part does it share, it will thrive. 

It is hard to turn sinners to Christianity if the Church itself doesn’t show stability. Why would anyone want to be part of a group when the rules keep changing to meet the world’s desires. Just like in politics, people will make a great deal over a candidate who “flip-flops” his/her political beliefs. Think of it another way: as you need a stable body to accept a new organ or transplant, you need a stable church to be able to take in a sinner, someone longing to find the truth. Otherwise, the person longing to find Christ may reject the whole thing because the church hasn’t prepared itself as a functioning body for Christ.  

We are all called as Christians to grow in Christ’s love, to strengthen the body of the church.  Not for ourselves or our own image, but instead to unify the church around a common faith. Faith in God. What can you do to help build up the church? It takes us all. We are all one body.

We Should Love First (Ephesians 4:1-7)

Ephesians 4:1-2 “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,”

If we truly understand what God did for us, what Jesus did for us, we would lead a life deserving of his love without thought. We should want to abide by God’s law and his calling without doubt because of what he has already done for us. It shouldn’t be about living a with disregard, knowing that he forgives our sins. We should be living doing our best NOT to sin in the first place because of him. 

In all situations we should continue to fall upon the thought of Jesus on the cross. He suffered and died for me. If I continue on this path, am I doing his death Justice? Or am I just slapping him in the face? In what ways can I live better? I can certainly work on being gentler. That is never an easy way for me. But I know that when I am harsh, and I see my children’s face, I know I have sinned against Jesus’s calling for me. Every day I need to put Jesus first instead of my own impatience. I need to put love first.

Beyond our Imagination (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us

God created the world. We know the story in Genesis. But there is so much more to it that what we read. It wasn’t like a genie from cartoons who just “poofed” and there was a tree. God designed every element of every creature. He made it the right amount of gases in the air to sustain life. Even as he made man from the dirt, every bone, every organ, every drop of blood was thought out. To be able to work perfectly together in the shell of skin. This being to have emotion, thoughts, love. As it is, the coming together of a cell and an egg, forming a new cell, and it splitting into more and more and becoming life in the womb. This process too was designed by God. It is beyond what our human minds can comprehend. 

Our God is an awesome God. If he can accomplish far more than our imagination can fathom with making the world and people, who is to say that he cannot handle what we ask in our life? The really cool part is even though he is an great and all powerful God, who created the heavens and earth, he still wants to hear our problems. He still wants us to turn to him in our times of need. He still wants US. Never think that your problems aren’t worth it. Never think you aren’t worthy enough for his forgiveness. He wants you. He loves you.

Kneel Before the Father (Ephesians 3:14-19)

Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I kneel before the Father

There are many references to kneeling before God in the Bible. Psalm 95:6 tells us to “kneel before our maker”. Daniel kneeled in prayer three times a day. Ezra knelt in prayer and stretched his hands out tot the Lord. Many people came before Jesus and knelt. Jesus himself knelt down to pray. 

There are so many ways to pray, and we should pray often. We can pray in the car, in our kitchen, folding our laundry, before meals, at school, etc. But we also need to take the time to humble ourselves, slow down, kneel and pray before God. Coming down to our knees shows complete humility, as we are beneath him. In the Catholic Mass, we genuflect when we first come to our pew to show reverence. Catholics kneel several times during preparation of the Eucharist, to show humility before the Lord, recognizing our own littleness before him. Also, because Jesus kneeled before the Lord. When my kids grumble about having to kneel, I remind them that this small sacrifice is nothing compared to the pain that Jesus endured for us. That usually gets them to think on it for a minute. 

Kneel before the Father. Make yourself little. Pour open your heart. He is there, waiting to hear from you.  

Who is Watching You (Ephesians 3:1-13)

Ephesians 3:10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and authorities in the heavens.

How amazing it is for God to want to show his angels his work on earth! Sure, they can look at any point and see death and destruction, sin and failure, weakness and doubt. But they can also see God’s work through us. They can see salvation. They can see us learn forgiveness and love. They can witness hearts being changed. The angels can learn through us. Not that we are spectacular beings, but that through the grace of God, we can learn from our failures and strive for more. The angels, as are we, are instructed by God’s wisdom. They get to see creatures made in God’s image first hand learn and use God’s wisdom. They get to see a world worth defending against the devil. 

There are others in our own lives who learn from watching us. We need to constantly be aware that someone out there is learning from us. What choices am I making? What am I allowing in my home? Am I showing kindness and compassion to all? I pray that the lessons learned lead them down the right path.