Compass Spiritual Health Self-Assessment
"Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Do not drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you." 2 Corinthians 13.5 The Message
To maintain your physical health, you have routine check-ups with a medical doctor and develop habits like a balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate rest. But what about your spiritual health? Have you ever even considered that you can objectively examine and put in place intentional habits that improve your spiritual wellbeing?
The Spiritual Health Self-Assessment gives you the ability to measure your spiritual wellbeing at a particular point in time. The purpose however is not to see how you measure up against other people, nor to see how close you are to perfection. Together with the Spiritual Health Action Plan and Resource Guide you will be equipped to better understand the state of your spiritual wellbeing and measure your growth as a follower of Jesus Christ.
The ultimate example of spiritual health is, of course, Jesus of Nazareth. But for the rest of us the standard is admittedly somewhat subjective. The Spiritual Health Self-Assessment, Action Plan and Resource Guide attempt to bring some measure of objectivity by defining the Priority, Posture, and Practices of a Christian, based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Health Is Born Out of Priority
A priority is something that takes precedence over other things. Matthew 6.33 records Jesus explaining to his followers that their priority should not be a career or status or wealth, but to align one’s life with what God is doing in the world. Jesus tells us, “But seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness happens as we: 1) surrender ourselves more each day to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives; 2) serve others in love as a natural expression of our faith; and 3) sharing your life and faith with others so that they will come to know Jesus.
Spiritual Health Has a Posture
Posture is the prevailing tendency of one’s spirit in relation to other things in life. In other words, how we typically view and relate to the world around us. Jesus said that love is the posture most pleasing to God. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22.37-39 NIV)
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians helps us better understand what a posture of love looks like: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13.4-8a NIV)
Spiritual Health is Achieved in Practices
Spiritual practices come in many shapes and forms, but all share a common aim: to help us more fully experience God in our lives and allow His Holy Spirit to make us more like Christ. For our purposes in the Spiritual Health Self-Assessment and Spiritual Health Action Plan we will define spiritual practices in three big “buckets” that each contain many habits and disciplines.
1. Intentional Community is focused on Christian fellowship and discipleship and is defined as “sharing life in the name of Christ, to become more like Christ, and be Christ for one another.”
2. Experiencing God has as its core our relationship of worship and adoration for God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We experience God best when we “seek Him and are aware of His presence in every detail of life.”
3. Sharing Christ is expressing our love for God and others by “living a life that invites others to draw near to God.”
Take Compass Spiritual Health Self-Assessment Here
Compass Spiritual Health Self-Assessment Resource Guide
This Resource Guide offers alternatives and further suggestions for the Spiritual Health Action Plan. The books, studies, and suggestions correspond with the three foci of the Compass Spiritual Health Self-Assessment – Intentional Community, Experiencing God, and Sharing Christ.
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