Inventory

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.   

James 3:6 

 

But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  

Matthew 9:13 
 

INVENTORY 

Take an angry inventory when your heart fills up with resentments, criticalness, depression or unforgiveness. 

There is something powerful about writing things down and getting them all out of our head and our hearts.  We begin to SEE the crap that has been living in there, stealing our peace and healing. 

So whichever issue is a struggle, take an inventory.  Here are some examples below. 

 

Instructions: 

 

1. Write all of this down in a notebook.  In the first column, write the name of the person, place or thing to which or whom you are resentful (angry).  Sometimes we may have 10 things we are resentful of with regards to a certain person.  This is normal.  Each resentment must be specifically written down. 

 

   2. List in the second column what happened.   

 

   3. In the third column, write down what is your part or what is your sin in this resentment. 

 

   4. When you’re finished writing down all the resentments that come to mind, then verbally confess and repent each resentment and sin to Jesus, naming them one by one.  

 

   5. Next, confess these resentments and sins to a pastor or a trusted person who will be merciful

and confidential.  Read your paper to them.   

 

   6. After confessing your sins to a trusted individual, pray fervently and patiently to see if God is asking you to right your wrongs to a person who is listed on your inventory - asking for their forgiveness.  Be very careful with this confession and make sure it is directed and led by the

Holy Spirit first, because some confessions may wound others.  So the question begs to be asked, “LORD, will this confession hurt this person if I confess my sins to them or will it bless them?” Very important! If it would hurt another, remember, our repentance to God and our confession to a trusted individual is righting the wrong as well.  So be very cautious and discerning when it comes to when, where and whom we give our confession.  Read below for marriage confessions when taking a Marriage Inventory.  We never want to say during a confession while asking for forgiveness, “Because you did such and such, it produced sin in my heart. This is my sin, please forgive me.”  NO! That’s not a confession, that’s demonstrating criticalness towards them.  Don’t say the word you.  Say, “When such and such a thing happened (stating column two), my heart has become full of sin. And then list the sins from column three and then ask for forgiveness. Do not be shaken by their negative response if it occurs.  That is not your problem, that 

is theirs.  Leave it alone and keep your mouth  shut. 

 

    7. Finally, safely burn or destroy this paper -  for YOU shall not be destroyed. 

 

We are to repent and confess so that the Thief shall not be able to steal, kill and destroy.  For we shall overcome by the Blood of Jesus who is our righteousness.  This is healing from our anger. 

Here is a short example of my own inventory.  Remember, this inventory example can be used when we battle depression, criticalness, fear, marriage issues, and un-forgiveness. 

 

ANGRY/RESENTMENT INVENTORY 

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CRITICALNESS INVENTORY 

This inventory is the same format as the Resentment Inventory.  In the first column, list each person, place or thing you are feeling criticalness towards.  In the second column, list what happened and in the third, list your part or your sins in that situation.    

 

FEAR INVENTORY 

This inventory is the same format as the Resentment and Criticalness Inventory.  In the first column, list each person, place or thing which creates fear in your heart.  In the second column, list what happened and in the third, list your part or your sins in that situation.    

 

DEPRESSION INVENTORY 

This Inventory is the same format as the above mentioned, however, in the first column list each guilt (which is in your heart) and the person, place or thing it involves.  In the second column, list what happened and in the third, list your part or your sins in that situation.    

 

MARRIAGE INVENTORY 

When taking a Marriage Inventory, you may feel a leading of the Holy Spirit to take one or more of the above inventories – the issue that is the biggest battle in your heart towards your spouse.   

This Inventory is the same format as listed above, however, in the first column, list your spouse’s name or each person, place or thing which is creating strife in the marriage.  In the second column, list what happened and in the third, list your part or your sins in that situation.    

In a Marriage Inventory, confession of sin to the spouse is critical, because we are asking them to forgive us of our wrongdoing.  This step brings much healing to the relationship and walls begin to fall.  Just remember though, they may not believe your confession or your change of heart.  They may be suspicious and say, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”  If this happens, stay the course and don’t be shaken by their response.  Your clean heart before Jesus and your spouse is all that matters.  You did your part in making things right, you are not responsible for their response.  You are only responsible for your own heart.  In time, they will see the change that Jesus has made in your heart and your actions.  Keep your mouth shut when it comes to announcing your change of heart; trying to convince others and yourself.  Again, in time, your actions will speak louder than words if there is a true heart change.  

One last note, when confessing sins to our spouses, ex-spouses or others for that matter, do not use accusatory words or critical words such as, “When you did this, it produced these sins in me and so please forgive me.”  That’s not a confession, that’s demonstrating criticalness towards them.   Don’t say the word you.  Say, “When such and such a thing happens (stating column two), my heart has become full of sin.  Confess each issue in column two and each sin associated with it from column three. 

 

SEXUAL IMMORALITY INVENTORY 

You can, also, take a Sexual Immorality Inventory and list the curses you brought into your marriage and marriage bed from fornication. Refer to Sexual Immorality in Healing of the Family. After making a list of the curses, repent of your sexual immorality to God and ask Him to break these curses through the precious Blood of Jesus.  Next, confess these sins to your spouse and ask for forgiveness for the sins/curses which were brought through the door of your marriage.  Again, do not be shaken by their negative response if it occurs.  That is their problem, not yours.  Leave it alone and keep your mouth shut. 

 

So for healing to begin in the marriage, we should take an inventory of: 

 

1. Sins we brought into the marriage from sexual immorality. 

2. Sins we brought into the marriage bed from sexual immorality. 

3. Sins of anger, criticalness, fear, un-forgiveness and bitterness.

 

There is sin we accumulated before marriage and gave to our spouses and there is also sin that has been created from wounds surrounding the marital sexual relationship.  The marriage bed defiled with our sin.  Spouses complain about sex, but who will step up and own the sin they are bringing into the bed?  It starts with owning our own crap, rather than blaming, criticizing or complaining.  If there’s been more than one spouse, then each one is listed. 

 

Here is a list of the curses from sexual immorality we bring into our marriage and marriage bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INVENTORY 

Again, I am going to repeat important words… 

Taking an inventory of our heart is powerful and life-changing. When we see on paper the VOLUME of sin that has been stored in there, it’s mind boggling to comprehend all the junk we have lived with day after day.  We then begin to understand why we are sick, confused, angry, suicidal, violent, impatient, harsh and critical, with relationships crumbling and bad fruit produced instead of good fruit.  

 

By the power of the Holy Spirit, an inventory reveals the sin and motives which lie deep within the heart that we cannot see.  Sin which longs to hide, destroying us and those we care about. 

There is great healing by writing down the sin produced in our hearts; seeing it with our own eyes, hearing our mouths repent and confess - cleaning it all out.  It turns our hearts into new wine skins.  It says in

 

Mark 2:22, and no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins. 

 

When we see a speck in another’s eye, it can make us angry, critical or fearful or all the above. That speck creates a heart full of sin as long as a log.  The speck is their sin and the log is our sin.  The inventory reveals just how long our log is and surprisingly how many logs we have in our eyeballs.  No wonder we are blind!!  

As Jesus says, “Take the log out of your own eye and you will be able to see clearly.”  

When we begin to see and face our sin, wisdom, meekness and understanding fills our heart.  It is so beautiful!  Healing begins as Jesus reveals and forgives the sin we have been carrying quite possibly for many years. 

 Ask yourself what am I struggling with the most - fear, anger, or criticalness? 

When the heart fills up with the anger, criticalness or fear, they give birth to a pit full of other sins.  

 

Take a Heart Inventory when you are struggling with a relationship, family, job, addiction, pain, disease or sickness. 

God says to me, “Beth, it is time to take an inventory of your heart.” 

Let the Holy Spirit be your guide. 

So repent, confess and make it right with others if and when needed. 

 

Listed below are column one and column three suggestions. 

 

PERSON, PLACE, THING     

God 

Yourself 

Spouse 

Ex-Spouse 

Child 

Teenager 

Parent 

In-Law 

Stepparent or Child 

Relative 

Pet 

Church 

Pastor 

Fellow believer 

A religion  

Staff person 

School or Teacher 

Leader 

Business  

Professional 

Employer 

Co-worker 

Officer 

Group of People 

Neighbor 

 

MY SIN, MY PART 

Pride 

Anger 

Murderous anger 

Criticalness 

Bitterness 

Un-forgiveness 

Argumentativeness 

Accusatory 

Self-righteousness 

Haughtiness  

Hatred 

Impatience 

Sexual immorality 

Cheating 

Lying  

Harshness 

Profanity 

Slander 

Deceitfulness 

Laziness 

Gluttony 

Addiction 

Idolatry 

Strife 

Gossip 

Worry 

Fear