Last week, after spending over an hour talking with my oncologist, I knew I had to go through a number of tests before we could make the decisions regarding my treatment. I asked the doctor when we would begin. He said, “They’re waiting for you downstairs.” Getting a full picture of my health—my strengths and my weaknesses—is essential to the strategy of the treatment process. One of the biggest questions being asked is, “Am I strong enough to do this?”
Several years ago we began doing something at North Orange Christian Church I had never done in all my years of ministry—in fact, I knew of no other congregation doing this anywhere. We call it a Spiritual Health Assessment. In it, we guide the participants to look at their relationship with Jesus, and the state of their spiritual health as measured by the Essentials (what have historically been called “Spiritual Disciplines” or “Habits of a Disciple”). Just as many of us resist the idea of physical assessment and put off such tests, many resist the Spiritual Health Assessment. Perhaps they are afraid of what they will find. Maybe they just don’t care. The problem is, they need to know.
When I meet with a couple for marriage counseling, I need to know their spiritual health. When I talk to someone who is fighting addiction, I need to know their spiritual health. When I talk to someone about dealing with their anger, their pain, their fears in life, I need to know their spiritual health. In addition to the obvious importance of their relationship with Jesus, I need to know for another reason. Just as I have to be physically healthy in order to complete, even survive, the treatment of my cancer, all these people I am working with need to be spiritually healthy in order to do what they need to do. If the couple trying to save their marriage really wants the marriage to work, they have to be spiritually strong. If they aren’t, they–and their marriage–won’t make it through the process.
So, testing (I prefer the word “assessment”) is important (we encourage everyone to do the Spiritual Health Assessment at least annually, but I do it more often than anyone else in the congregation). We don’t know what we will be given to do in order to grow—in order to follow the King. But we can assume we need to be healthy spiritually. If we aren’t–if we the Essentials (Worship, Prayer, Bible Study, Service, Relationships, Tithing and Sharing Faith) aren’t present, balanced, and strong in our lives, we won’t make it when the unexpected comes–I know.
If you would like to know more about this process, I encourage you to watch the two videos on our website (www.nocc.org under Spiritual Health).
Today I choose to live—and be strong. Will you join me?
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