2 Cor. 11-13  Paul speaks what he calls "foolishness" and "boasting" - he examines himself, in writing so that the church in Corinth can know the truth of who he is and his motives for writing them this letter.  He also exhorts them to examine themselves in like manner.  Why?  He loves them!
"I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy..."
"..I am afraid, lest... your minds be led astray.."
"And I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls." ( 12:15)
"For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish..."
"I am afraid that when I come again Gad may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many.. who have sinned.. and not repented.." 

Besides the physical and spiritual trials that Paul lists in chapters 11-12, Paul says that the hardest thing for him is "the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches."   His heart was burdened for those that he had led to Christ and he couldn't bear the thought of them falling away from faith. Paul loved the people of Corinth and the other churches like a parent loves their children.  We can relate to that... We want nothing more than to know that our children are walking with Jesus, that their faith is real,  that they KNOW God.

But, like Paul, we can pray, we can hope, and we can examine our own lives and be the best examples we can possibly be;  we can even boast... but that does not mean anything unless those we are concerned about take initiative to examine themselves.  " Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you - unless indeed you fail the test?" ( 13:5)  We each must scrutinize our own lives, our own minds and hearts;  This examination should reveal if we are approved  or unapproved ( rejected)..  Do we have Jesus Christ in us? 

Look back at 12:20-21... the things that Paul lists here, things he does not wish to find - strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances,  unrepentance, impurity, immorality, and sensuality ... these are the qualities that are evidence of lives without Christ.

13:11 gives us a glimpse into some qualities that reveal the Presence of Christ - joy,  order (being complete) ; comforting one another,  being like-minded,  living in peace with one another;  the love of God for one another.

 Paul was able to keep going because Christ's grace was sufficient for him and His power made up for Paul's weaknesses.  He wanted the church to stop pretending that they were strong and to admit their own weakness.  They needed to honestly evaluate themselves. We must do this too.

Father in heaven, may the grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all today.  Amen.