Check the Stock

A store owner occasionally takes inventory of his stock in order to determine what he has and what he needs. This process works in our lives, too. If we have set a goal for our spiritual lives, wouldn’t it be helpful if once in a while we took inventory of our spiritual stock to see what qualities we have and which ones we lack?

What are some of the items that we might want in our spiritual inventory? Patience seems like a good product. So does kindness and generosity. Do we have these items or is our stock depleted? How about time? Do we have an abundance of time, or is it a scarce commodity in our spiritual storehouse? What about strength, courage, and tenacity? Are these items that we need, or can we get by with shyness, timidity, and weakness? What about the commodity known as intuition? Is that in our inventory? And, if so, is it fresh or has the expiration date come and gone?

Other items we might search our storehouse for are forgiveness, love, a listening ear, and prayer. As we make use of these items, they renew themselves daily. But, the more we leave them on the shelf, the less value they have and the less effective they become. Some of these items seem to be a natural fit with our personalities and abilities. We connect with these and concentrate on using them. That’s fine, but don’t neglect any of the products in your spiritual store. All have a purpose.