Socrates said that and though I have my own complaints about "Greek" thinking--I think he nailed it with this particular thought.
Just saw the movie The Five people You Meet in Heaven which was incredible inspiring.
Since the movie starts with all this information, I don't feel like I'm giving much away, so here goes: The movie is about Eddie, an 83-year-old war veteran who dies on his birthday in a tragic accident at the beach boardwalk where he has worked as a maintenance man his whole life. The script explores his life through the eyes of several people who help him grow and understand why his life turned out the way it did.
I think there are moments when we have some extra time to look back and learn from what has happened. It's good to take inventory. I feel like I'm in that place, too. I'm 40 years younger than Eddie--at that mid-point of the journey (if my health holds up and I'm not martyred)- and it's an ideal moment to look back and ask myself "How did I get here..?" and the natural question to follow is "what do I want the next half of my life to look like?" This is especially important because the next 20 years can potentially be my most productive.
I have made every mistake known to man--so I got a lot of wisdom under my belt--lived in several countries and worked with people from all over the world so I feel like I'm equipped, but not so much equipped that I stop relying on God to get things done. I haven't arrived--but I've reached a certain maturity.
I just have enough going for me that I know what life is about and I have a good idea of what I want out of it.
Examination is important. It's important to ask ourselves at key times... what is working? What isn't working? What can I do to influence things to make them work better? How do I want to invest my time to build for the future..?
And in all of that...to ask God... how have you seen the last 20 years? I had some counseling while I was in San Jose over the winter... and I have to tell you--it wasn't that helpful. In the end, I think it made me feel more confused than before. Here's what I learned:: my life doesn't make a whole lot of sense outside of the Spirit of God. Without His perspective, I would be lost. Our lives don't need to make sense to other people and they don't have to be typical--they just need to be submitted to our great God--and we need to regularly ask the Lord... How am I doing? Is there anything you want me to be doing right now? Because in the end, He is the one who's good will and pleasure we want to achieve in life.
I think that's why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:3-4
But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human [b]court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.
We need to be careful to do our examining IN THE LORD... He is the only one who can truly give us the answers. It's wise to get lots of input from people but if we haven't sought God's input-- we are likely to lose our way along the path. God made us. He knows the places we were meant to walk. Why not ask Him to examine us... and see what He might say today.
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