Encouragement

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A Spiritual Audit
© 2008

by

Stephen A. Peterson


When I was a senior in high school, I worked at the Veteran’s Administration as a file clerk. It was a valuable experience, because I learned to do many things—deal with persons who were over me; file things in alphabetical and numerical order; figure a veteran’s benefits; determine what benefits he or she was eligible for; close out a file when a veteran died as well as make changes in beneficiary when requested by the veteran. The chief administrator explained that before the end of the fiscal year each Veteran’s Administration office had to report their documented services to the National Office in Washington, D.C. in order to receive its funding for the next year. He also explained that if services fell off significantly an office could be shut down and moved to another city.

“Of course, I could operate like the previous administrator,” my boss chuckled. “That ole boy never made an accounting of vet services each month as mandated until 30 days before it was due. Then he had to get the section chiefs to quickly throw facts and figures together. This made for a very stressful situation throughout this office. When an audit was finally conducted, he could not account for the number of errors and problems. He was subsequently fired.”

At various points in their existence every organization or business takes an audit of some sort to determine such things as financial standing, needs or memberships (employee performance). How many Christians, on the other hand, conduct a spiritual audit? Questions a Christian might consider asking are: Am I really Christ-like? Do I pause and listen to God and to others? What is my prayer life like or do I even really have one? Do I take time to read His Holy Word? Am I kinder, gentler, and thoughtful of others? Am I helpful to people (especially to those I do not know) with needs (especially the silent, less visible ones)? Do I worship things and not God? This and other questions a Christian may ask of her—or him—self throughout the course of their life.

Some day at a time unknown to you, your final audit will commence. No living person knows for certain when their final audit will be. However, every living person can conduct timely and meaningful audit of their spiritual life. You will be surprised at what you find and do not find.

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