Taking stock

Audit. Simply the word sends chills down the spines of most Americans. If you know that your finances and paperwork are all in order and everything is on the up-and-up, it can be a scary process to have to submit it all to the IRS for review, but at least you know that you did everything asked of you.

But how often do we consider the prospect of being audited by God? How would you feel standing before the Lord as He reviews the assets of your life: your time, your talents, your financial resources, your thoughts, your motives, your energies, your attitude…

Would you have cause for concern? What discrepancies might He find? What inconsistencies might exist between what you say and what you do, what you teach and how you live?

If you had the opportunity to look at a log book that showed all the money you had wasted on clothes you never wear, flashy toys purchased for your own amusement, or dollars carelessly dropped for a few laughs – would you want to see the total? To be honest, I’m not sure I would. I’m afraid the number would make me too sick and too depressed to know what to do with myself.

Now consider if the same thing was true for your time. If you could see what percentage of your life has been spent being lazy or selfish or engaging in activities or talk that are negative – would you want to look? Or would you be too afraid to admit how much of your life you have wasted that you will never get back?

I would challenge all of us to conduct an audit of our own lives – an on-going review of how we are really utilizing the blessings entrusted to us. We all must give account someday; does the thought of yours give you concern or confidence?