Self-examination is a daunting task. For a long time, our addiction thrived in the shadows of our unexamined lives. We avoided looking too closely at our own hearts because we were terrified of what we might find. We lived on the surface, distracted and numb, running away from the deep-seated fears and resentments that drove our destructive behaviors. Asking God to “search me” is an act of profound vulnerability. It is an invitation for His light to expose the dark corners we’ve kept locked away. It requires us to drop our defenses and let the Creator evaluate our anxious thoughts and offensive ways. But we must remember: God does not expose our faults to condemn us; He exposes them to heal us. You cannot treat a wound you refuse to look at. When we courageously invite His searching light, the ultimate goal is never shame. The goal is to be freed from our toxic patterns and led into the “way everlasting” | 
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