BY REV. DORAL PULLEY
“Examine yourselves, whether if you be in the faith; prove your own selves.” 2 Corinthians 13:5
One of the most important forms of evaluation is self-evaluation. It is better for us to evaluate ourselves before we are faced with the opinions of others. Self-evaluation gives us the opportunity to reflect on our own areas of strength and weakness before we hear outside criticisms. It also gives us a chance to come up with a plan of improvement for the areas in our lives that require growth.
We can benefit from daily self-evaluation even if our assessment time is only five minutes before we go to sleep. Self-evaluation prepares us for the critique of others because we have our own opinions about our performance.
In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-16, each person evaluated himself as it related to his own stewardship before the manager evaluated them and gave them the consequences for their actions. You know better than anyone else exactly how you are doing. Listen to your own internal guidance and be open and honest with yourself.
The New Year is a great opportunity for us to engage in self-evaluation. Ask yourself: What have I learned from 2018 that I do not desire to repeat in 2019? What are my goals for the New Year? What tools will I use to help me accomplish 2019 goals? How can I hold myself accountable about my short-term and long-term goals?
Rev. Doral Pulley is the senior pastor of Unity Temple of Truth Church, 511 Prescott St. S, St. Petersburg.
