Using the Catechism Book for Self-Examination

“Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!” (Lam. 3:40).

Any time that you want to draw closer to God and go deeper in holiness, it is fitting to examine yourself. It is especially fitting to examine oneself before the Lord’s Supper each week (1 Cor. 11:28–32), during penitential seasons in the Church’s life (especially Lent), or before confession of sin, whether privately (p. 240) or to a Pastor. The catechism book includes numerous resources to aid in self-examination.

Questions for Self-Examination

Page 240 includes Questions for Self-Examination, 22 heart-searching questions from John Wesley, such as “Did the Bible live in me today?” and “Do I grumble and complain constantly?”

The Examen

Page 241 features The Examen, a key part of Ignatian spirituality and a prayerful way to examine your life, especially at the end of the day.

Prayers of Confession and Consecration

Page 264 includes numerous Prayers of Confession and Consecration. These poignant prayers get to the heart of the matter and help to facilitate additional prayer.

The Ten Commandments and Catechism Questions

Page 60 includes the Ten Commandments (p. 60), which summarize God’s law and are like a mirror for our lives.

Questions 15–24 of the catechism expound the Ten Commandments. Read through them and confess to God the ways that you’ve sinned. Do not skip the explanatory notes. Many of them are very heart-searching. For example, on Question 16, this quote from John Wesley: “Whatever takes our heart from him, or shares it with him, is an idol; or, in other words, whatever we seek happiness in independent of God.”

To aid in this exercise, the following questions for each commandment are drawn from the catechism questions or explanatory notes.

First Commandment

Read Catechism Question 15 and the Notes

1. Do I want to know God more than anything else?
2. Do I fear anyone or anything more than I fear God?
3. Do I trust God supremely or am I trusting in myself or others?
4. Am I worshipping and glorifying God in my life, or do I lift up other people and things above him?

Second Commandment

Read Catechism Question 16 and the Notes

1. Is my worship pure or have I fallen into superstition, especially in the use of images and other created things?
2. Have I considered how God wants to be worshipped, as revealed in Scripture, or am I worshipping him on my own terms and according to my own preferences?
3. Have I made church and worship about me instead of God’s glory?
4. Is anything taking my heart from God or sharing it with him?
5. Am I seeking happiness in anything independent of God?

Third Commandment

Read Catechism Question 17 and the Notes

1. Have I spoken about God or used any of God’s names in a crass or irreverent manner?
2. Have I called upon God’s name in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving?
3. Have I stood by while others dishonored God’s name, and did nothing about it?
4. Is there any hypocrisy in my life?
5. Have I rashly used God’s name to swear an oath (“I swear to God!”)?

Fourth Commandment

Read Catechism Question 18 and the Notes

1. Have I regularly rested from my work, or is work an idol in my life?
2. Would my spouse and family say that I have a healthy balance between work, family, prayer, and church?
3. Have I made excuses for missing church or skipped church for sports, unnecessary work, or other activities?
4. Have I taken the Lord’s Day seriously and sought to honor God and edify the church in how I conduct myself, worship, sing, pray, and hear the Word of God?
5. Have I rested in Christ’s finished work of salvation, or am I spiritually restless as if I can earn my salvation by my performance?
6. Am I truly looking forward to the eternal rest of heaven (and living accordingly), or am I focused on earthly things?

Fifth Commandment

Read Catechism Question 19 and the Notes

1. Have I been disrespectful or disparaging towards any authority figures in my life, such as bosses, pastors, government officials, and especially parents?
2. Have I submitted to their good instruction, or have I been more concerned with preserving my independence?
3. Have I been patient with their shortcomings, or have I been quick to complain or think the worst of them?
4. Have I despised, resented, and harbored bitterness towards them, or have I sought healing for my wounds and God’s grace to forgive them?

Sixth Commandment

Read Catechism Question 20 and the Notes

1. Have I done everything that lies within me to pursue peace with everyone in my life?
2. Have I been angry or lost my temper?
3. Have I despised and hated someone in my heart?
4. Have I done anything (even small and subtle) with the intention to harm others—physically, emotionally, or spiritually?
5. Have I sought revenge or to “get even” for wrongs against me?
6. Have I secretly wished that harm would come to someone who has hurt me?

Seventh Commandment

Read Catechism Question 21 and the Notes

1. Have I intentionally looked at (“checked out”) and lusted after someone who wasn’t my spouse?
2. Have I sought out or allowed my eyes to linger on anything immodest or pornographic?
3. Have I dwelled on any impure thoughts?
4. Have I spoken any impure, obscene, lewd, or coarse words?
5. Have I kept my marriage vows?
6. Have I had sex or engaged in any sexually arousing behaviors before marriage?
7. Have I lusted after or made romantic advances towards someone of the same sex?

Eighth Commandment

Read Catechism Question 22 and the Notes

1. Have I been generous with what God has given me, or have I been stingy and self-serving?
2. Have I greedily sought to amass wealth and taken pride in how much money I have?
3. Have I been reckless in spending what God has given to me, instead of thinking about how to best use it for God’s kingdom?
4. Have I gained money or property dishonestly or at the expense of others?

Ninth Commandment

Read Catechism Question 23 and the Notes

1. Have I spoken the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
2. Have I spoken it in love, with appropriate gentleness and respect?
3. Have I believed the best that can be reasonably believed of others, and given them the benefit of the doubt, or have I assumed the worst?
4. Have I been intentionally ambiguous or evasive with my words in order to deceive or mislead others?
5. Have I gossiped, carelessly passing on what was told to me in confidence?
6. Have I spread any rumors, especially when I have not even confirmed their truthfulness?
7. Have I spoken maliciously about others behind their backs instead of approaching them privately as Christ commands?

Tenth Commandment

Read Catechism Question 24 and the Notes

1. Am I fully content with my status, circumstances, possessions, and achievements?
2. Will I be happy and satisfied in God even if I do not attain any greater status or wealth than I have right now?
3. Does my heart long for what belongs to others?
4. Do I pridefully believe that I deserve more than what I have?
5. Do I rejoice in my neighbor’s success, even when it exceeds my own, or do I secretly resent them for it?
6. Do I grumble and complain?
7. Am I preoccupied with material possessions and physical comfort over spiritual values and kingdom priorities?

Confession After Self-Examination

Self-examination should be followed by confession of sin—always to God, and often also to other believers (James 5:16), especially pastors (James 5:14–16; Heb. 13:17).

• See the order for Confession of Sin (p. 238)
• Reach out to a pastor and ask, “Is there a time that we could meet for me to confess some things in my life?”
• If you have committed a major sin (e.g., had an extramarital affair) or are trapped in a habitual sin, ask your pastor about the Restoration Covenant (p. 227)