This weekend, Redeemer Presbyterian Church founder and best-selling author Tim Keller took to Twitter to discuss something powerful he’d been reading: The diary of eighteenth century theologian George Whitefield.
In a thread on Twitter, he looked at the 15 “questions [he] used to evaluate himself every day.”
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Have I …
1.Been fervent [had warmth of feeling] in private prayer?
2. Used stated hours of prayer [morning, noon, and evening]?
3. Used [spontaneous prayer to God] every hour?
4. After or before every deliberate conversation or action, considered how it might tend to God’s glory?
5. After any pleasure, immediately given thanks [to God]?
6.Planned business for the day?
7.Been simple [avoided luxury and ostentation] and recollected [stayed aware of God’s presence] in everything?
8.Been zealous in undertaking and active in doing what good I could?
9.Been [humble], cheerful, affable in everything I said or did?
10.Been proud, vain, unchaste or enviable of others [in my thoughts]?
11. Recollected in eating and drinking? Thankful? Temperate [disciplined] in sleep?
12.Taken time for giving thanks according to [William] Law’s rules?
13.Been diligent in studies?
14.Thought or spoken unkindly of anyone?
15. Confessed all sins?
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Obviously, these questions used to daily examine himself were written long-before the digital era and the age of such hostile political discourse, but the timeless ideas take on new meaning today. Many focus not only on growing a personal relationship with God, but also how we treat our neighbors.
Asking them of oneself—especially on a daily basis—is a challenging, but rewarding exercise.
George Whitefield’s Diary:
Questions used to evaluate himself every day (assigning a rating from 1 to 9)
Have I –
1.Been fervent [had warmth of feeling] in private prayer?
2. Used stated hours of prayer [morning, noon, and evening]?
3. Used [spontaneous prayer to God] every hour?— Timothy Keller (@timkellernyc) December 15, 2018
4. After or before every deliberate conversation or action, considered how it might tend to God’s glory?
5. After any pleasure, immediately given thanks [to God]?
6.Planned business for the day?— Timothy Keller (@timkellernyc) December 15, 2018
7.Been simple [avoided luxury and ostentation] and recollected [stayed aware of God’s presence] in everything?
8.Been zealous in undertaking and active in doing what good I could?
9.Been [humble], cheerful, affable in everything I said or did?— Timothy Keller (@timkellernyc) December 15, 2018
10.Been proud, vain, unchaste or enviable of others [in my thoughts]?
11. Recollected in eating and drinking? Thankful? Temperate [disciplined] in sleep?
12.Taken time for giving thanks according to [William] Law’s rules?
13.Been diligent in studies?— Timothy Keller (@timkellernyc) December 15, 2018
14.Thought or spoken unkindly of anyone?
15. Confessed all sins?— Timothy Keller (@timkellernyc) December 15, 2018
