Dave’s Monday Blast – March 20, 2017
Do you ever ponder your progress of spiritual maturation? I tend to be introspective, and often ponder at the end of the day whether I am progressing in my relationship with Christ. As each day passes, I question whether my reflection looks more like Jesus (His intended design for me).
I recently read an article by a pastor named Tony Morgan. He writes a blog entitled “The Unstuck Group”. It is designed to move Christ-Followers forward in their personal and corporate walks. Tony suggests that we can analyze our spiritual growth using the following six indicators; I think they are worth sharing. Here are the first three:
- Are you increasingly making better choices? Jesus places a great deal of emphasis on obedience in His Word, which can really be defined as living up to what you already know. Spiritual growth is revealed in our choices! (Proverbs 3:5&6; Philippians 4:8)
The more we grow, the closer the alignment between God’s will and our activity. And we can see this in habits, associations, schedules, conversations, and all the practical pieces of our daily lives. This kind of living leads to a reduction of shame and regret, which means our overall happiness is going up when we do what we know is best. That’s progress!
- Developing Determination! According to the apostles, determination (or perseverance) is a quality that God is working out in all those who call themselves followers of Jesus. It’s the willingness to press on in doing what’s right when our circumstances aren’t supportive!(Philippians 3:12-14)
It’s the ability to keep going when others would quit. Experiencing God’s faithfulness over time reinforces the fact that there’s more at work than what we can see. That faith is what forms the determination that marks movement along our journey with Jesus.
- Feeling for Others! This one might seem less measurable at first, but who can argue that growing in love is part of God’s agenda for each of us? After all, what did Jesus have for people in abundance? Compassion! Jesus felt passionately moved by the situation of those He encountered! (Matthew 9:35-38)
In the sales world they call this empathy, and the best salesmen have the most empathy. That simply means they are willing to put themselves in the shoes of their customers. When we do that with those around us, we are behaving more like Jesus. And of course that is the point of spiritual maturation…we look more like Jesus. I encourage you this week to INTENTIONALLY consider these indicators. How are you doing?
Next week we will unpack the last three indicators…so stay tuned.
