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Self-Examination and Reflection
The Ten Commandments preach Repentance;
that is,
by them God shows us our sin and how much
we need a Savior
You shall have no other gods.
What does this mean?
We should fear, love, and trust in God
above all things.
My God is that which I love,
trust and fear most in my life. I expect my comfort, good and delight from
my God.
Do I look to God my heavenly
Father, for all love, good and joy? Is everything measured for me by what
pleases me?
In all things am I self-centered
and selfish?
Do I see my worry and fretting
as sin against trusting God?
Do I complain about the troubles,
people, work and suffering God lays on me?
Do I love the things God
gives me more than I love Him? And do I cling to what God takes away, even
though He gives me Himself?
You shall not take the name of the LORD,
your God, in vain.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that
we may not curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie, or deceive by His name, but
call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.
Do I curse? Have I cursed?
Do I use God's name cheaply
for oaths that are frivolous or false?
Do I stand up and swear by
God's Name when it is for the truth of the Gospel or for the benefit of
my neighbor in need?
Do I pray with fervor in
times of trouble? Am I bored and indifferent in prayer?
Is it so that I cannot speak
about God truly because I am bored with God's Word, neglect the study of
the Catechism, doctrine and God's Word?
Is my heart and life in the
praise of God in worship? Am I mouthing things while my heart is far away?
Is my life, marked with the
Name of God in Baptism, characterized by thanksgiving and praise?
You shall sanctify the holy day / Remember
the Sabbath Day to keep it holy1.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that
we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly
hear and learn it.
Do I strive to make the day
of rest holy? Do I care about holy living?
Do I use the Word of God
and prayer to make my time, work, study life holy day by day?
Am I lazy and bored with
the Word of God? Have I any fear of God over this neglect?
Do I honor the Word of God
highly by studying it gladly, learning it by heart, and living it? Do I
despise the Word of God by neglect, paying no attention to it when it is
read or preached?
Do I love my fellow Christians
by being present with them in worship to sustain them? Am I quick to make
excuses for neglecting worship because of what someone else has said or
done, or to do other things I like more?
Do I spend time complaining
about the worship, the pastor or other people? Do I learn the Word gladly
so that I may teach others?
You shall honor your father and your
mother, that it may be well with you and you
may live long upon the earth.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that
we may not despise nor anger our parents and masters, but give them honor,
serve, obey, and hold them in love and esteem.
Has the fear and love of
God shaped my honor and obedience to parents and others in authority?
Have I trusted God to bless
me and make my life good when I submit to the authority of parents and
those over me, or have I been angry with them, rebelling, fighting against
them because I was afraid I was not getting what I had a right to get?
Have I been insolent, sullen
and disrespectful to my parents, teachers, employers or other authorities
over me?
Have I been on good behavior
when they are present and mocking them when they are absent?
Have I given honor and respect
to the pastoral office?
Have I helped those who carry
responsibilities in governing? Do I pray for parents, leaders of the nations,
schools and church? Do I grumble about work given me to do?
Have I helped make it easier
for those who carry responsibilities for governing?
You shall not kill.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that
we may not hurt nor harm our neighbor in his body, but help and befriend
him in every bodily need.
Have I treated my neighbor's
body and life as gifts of God to him?
Have I injured my neighbor
with violent actions, hitting and beating on my neighbor, spoken debasing
and insulting words, using foul or dirty words to describe the neighbor,
or murdered him with thoughts of anger, contempt, and hatred?
Have I injured my neighbor
by ridicule, by neglecting to feed or clothe him, withholding compassion
and comfort from him?
Have I avoided giving help
to my neighbor, avoiding involvement with him in his difficulty?
Do I abuse my own body with
neglect of health, care, excess use of food, drink, tobacco, or drugs?
You shall not commit adultery.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that
we may lead a chaste and decent life in words and deeds, and each love
and honor his spouse.
Have I used for my own pleasure
my ears to hear stories or my eyes to incite cravings for the body of one
who is not my spouse, or my mouth to speak such words and stories?
Have I indulged my eyes with
longing for my sexual satisfaction from a man or woman who is not my spouse?
Have I dishonored marriage by
ridicule, divorce, or neglecting to encourage others to be faithful to
their spouses in the fear of God?
Have I had intercourse with
a man or woman who is not my spouse?
Have I dishonored my spouse
by neglecting to care for the body, mind, feeling, needs of the other,
withdrawing faithfulness from the spouse?
Have I failed to trust God to
bless us in our marriage, even in times of trouble? Have I neglected to
pray for my spouse, to worship together, and to live in the fear and love
of God in times of sexual temptations?
Have I practiced thoughts, words,
or deeds, or given support of homosexual activity?
You shall not steal.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that
we may not take our neighbor's money or property, nor get them by false
ware or dealing, but help him to improve and protect his property and business.
Have I been lazy at work,
doing poor work in school or at the job, or working hard only when the
teacher or boss is around?
Have I been stingy in paying
my workers?
Have I been greedy, demanding
best pay for poor work?
Have I worked for myself
rather than for Christ and for the benefit of my neighbor?
Have I cared for the property
in the neighborhood, school, or church, so that it was improved?
Have I stolen from the office,
school, or the church, or stood silently by while others took what was
not theirs? Have I stolen information from another's work?
Have I wasted time and food
and money or caused others to waste time, food and money by my neglect?
Have I been stingy when it
comes to giving the Lord a generous portion as thank-offering for what
he has given me?
Have I stolen from my neighbor
by not helping him in time of need?
You shall not bear false witness against
your neighbor.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that
we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor,
but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction
on everything.
Have I told the truth in
court or in school before authorities or before my parents when I knew
the truth? Have I been afraid to bear witness when I knew the truth and
it was necessary to speak up against a wrong-doer or to speak for a victim?
Have I gossiped, delighted
to tell others about the faults or mistakes of another, excusing myself
especially by saying that I spoke only the truth?
Have I gone to others to
make peace if I wronged them or they me, or to correct them if I knew of
their wrong?
Have I flattered others,
or put on a front to make them think of me differently from what is true?
Have I slanted stories to
my benefit or deceived others by withholding some evidence of the story?
Have I found ways gladly
and willingly to explain, in the best possible way, those words or actions
of others that hurt me?
Have I defended my neighbor
when things said about my neighbor have made others think badly about him
or her?
Have I learned to hear with
the weaknesses and faults of others, covering their shame?
Have I been faithful in keeping
the secrets of another's heart entrusted to me in confidence?
You shall not covet your neighbor's
house.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that
we may not craftily seek to get our neighbor's inheritance or house, and
obtain it by a show of [justice and] right, etc., but help and be of service
to him in keeping it.
Have I longed for the honor,
wealth, happy life, or what seemed the ease of the lives of others? Has
my life been full of craving for these things?
Have I been stingy and self-indulgent
with my money, trying to keep up with what others had?
Have I tried, by claims of
various rights, to make the property of others my own, saying they do not
really deserve it and I do?
Do I have to keep wishing
for and dreaming about things I do not have before I can work with a diligent
and glad heart?
Have I lived in grudging
discontent with whatever God has given me, restless about what I do not
have and neglectful of thankful generosity with what I do have?
You shall not covet your neighbor's
wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant,
nor his cattle, nor anything that is his.
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that
we may not estrange, force, or entice away our neighbor's wife, servants,
or cattle, but urge them to stay and [diligently] do their duty.
Have I wanted my neighbor's
spouse, his workers, or his property to be mine?
Have I tried to win the affections
and loyalties of my neighbor's spouse or children or friends away from
the neighbor to me?
Have I urged friends and
spouses and workers to go back to their calling, holding their marriages,
friendships, families, and work together?
Have I fostered discontent
with the congregation, its pastor or leaders, and failed to urge members
to stay and do their duty in worship, praying, giving and serving?
What does God say of all these Commandments?
I the Lord your God am a jealous
God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generation of them that hate Me, and showing mercy unto thousands
of them that love Me and keep My commandments.
What does this mean?
God threatens to punish all that
transgress these commandments. Therefore we should dread His wrath and
not act contrary to these commandments. But He promises grace and every
blessing to all that keep these commandments. Therefore we should also
love and trust in Him, and gladly do according to His commandments.
God demands our hearts and
minds, not merely our outward actions. Therefore, examine the heart as
well as the life, connecting the fear and love of God with each commandment.
Let the broken heart fear him. God loves, and does not despise, the sacrifices
of the broken heart. Rather, he joins the broken heart to his mercy for
forgiveness and healing, for peace and purity.
Prepared by Dr. Kenneth
Korby, Zion Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minnesota, based on the Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20) and Martin Luther's Small Catechism.
1
The same commandment is given in different forms in Exodus 20:8 and Deut.
5:12.