Evaluating oneself properly can be very hard. There are occasions when we may be much too hard on ourselves. But surely there are times when we’re too lenient as well. Jesus said, “Do you not understand the parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” (Mark 4:13, ESV). This parable is all about having very attentive ears to the message of our Lord, along with a humble, responsive spirit that lets things “soak in.” If we struggle in this area, we’re going to struggle in our relationship with Jesus.
