Of all the many wonderful, thorough examinations of conscience I have come across, the one I normally utilize is very simple, and perfectly suited to someone like me who is not capable of profound thought at the end of the day.

It’s just one very short question: Which Christs did I not recognize today?

The King always comes in disguise, and I know I miss him in so many ways every single day. I miss him in people ignored or dismissed. I miss him in opportunities avoided and in moments that could have turned into prayer but instead turned into phone-scrolling. I miss him when he is right in front of me, holding up a mirror and calling my name, begging for my conversion of heart.

The Christian life calls us to constant self-scrutiny. It’s not a comfortable life, always thinking about what you could do better, but the Lord shepherds us rightly. His pastures have nothing to offer those who are perfect and strong.

He has gone in search of the lost. He has reclaimed those who have strayed, healed those who were injured, given rest to those who were weary.

We can’t be followers of Christ if we are not willing to own our sins. God’s mercy does not dismiss our sins, as if they never existed and were not important.

No, it does something far, far better — God’s mercy absolves our sins. It sets us free from them. But to be truly free, you have to understand the tyranny of what once enslaved you.

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