Activity or Progress?

A friend handed me this article; she knew it’d get my interest. It was titled, “Activity or Progress?” and the article discussed how to recognize spiritual growth. It begins, “Often when someone asks us how we are doing, we respond by telling them what we are doing. We assume that if we are involved in the right activities (and enough of them) that we must be making progress. But growth is more than just ‘Christian activity’ ”.
It then went on to disclose 10 questions (from Donald S. Whitney) one can ask to help determine if one is really growing…or just keeping busy.
He insists there is a world of difference between activity and progress.
I found the questions insightful, provocative and heart-level, soul searching good stuff!
Take some time to ponder the following four, looking over your own life in the past 6 to 12 months:
1. Are you more thirsty for God than ever before? The writer of Psalm 42:1 said, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” Have you been thirsting for God like that? Is He your passion? If so, your soul-thirsting is a sign of soul-growth.

2. Are you more loving?
The mark of a Christian is love, especially love for other Christians. “Dear Friends,” urged the Apostle John, “let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God. (I John 4:7). If you are growing in love, you are growing in grace.

3. Are you more sensitive to and aware of God than ever before?
The grace of God causes us, who were once dead to God, to be “alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11) One result of this new life is the glorious invasion of our souls by the Holy Spirit of God. His resident presence can give us a sense of being “alive to God” in daily life. The Spirit frequently brings thoughts of God and the things of God spontaneously to a Christian’s mind. Growing Christians find spiritual pleasure in seizing and dwelling upon these thoughts. The Spirit prompts them to see God everywhere. IF you find yourself noticing and often choosing to enjoy the Spirit’s promptings, chances are you are growing spiritually.

4. Are you increasingly governed by God’s Word?
Before we were made alive to God, we’re controlled mostly by what we want. But after we become alive to Him, we have a new desire to be governed by His will. In other words, the true Christian has a new compulsion to do what God wants him to do. And that information is found in the Bible. When you are a growing child of God, you can regularly point to how the Word of God has been teaching you, how it has reproved you for your sin, how it has shown you how to correct mistakes in your life. And you can point to how the Bible has been training you to live in new ways God says are right.

I'll list the remaining questions in a future post.

But the emphases found here provide encouragement for me as I measure my walk with God not by false externals (accomplishment, busy-ness, my feelings or even an increased theological knowledge) but by sincere, humble internal assessment of what's going on in my heart.

And that is balm to my wounded, often misplaced perfectionistic, pessimistic orientation when it comes to my Christian walk. (I find often my sin looms so HUGE before me that I am blinded to His grace that is always at work.)

I hope you take some time to ponder your own heart before God...

are you merely active...or truly growing?
Then make sure you don't settle for (or remain deceived about) the cheap counterfeit.