The whole point of this book is that some Christians are not anything like Jesus and don’t even have that as their spiritual goal; such people’s religion consists mainly of just going to church. While I make that point indirectly without a specific call to action or accusing any believer of being merely a churchgoer, the implication should be clear. So, if briefly reviewing this book’s summary or reading its contents has helped you realize that your spiritual development has stagnated, what follows is a brief approach for a spiritual checkup. Just as for medical issues, a general practitioner will refer patients to specialists, this website’s Tools segment gets specific.

You can seek input from a pastoral advisor or accountability partner, or if necessary, you can work through this self-assessment on your own. This Do-It-Yourself (DIY) approach can help you recognize where you might be stuck in your spiritual life. My book’s chapters will guide you about what to do for issues you may discover on your own. But however you go about evaluating your spiritual health, the only person who can honestly answer how you are doing is you.

Candidly consider these four categories. If you are making progress, good! Keep it up! But if you need improvement, be honest with yourself. Don’t pretend it’s okay. Think of these areas as warning lights on the dashboard of your life. They can point out serious, potential problems.

1. Bible Knowledge (chapters 1 & 2).

How will you become more like Jesus if you don’t know what he taught?
Do you continue to take advantage of ways to deepen your own biblical understanding?
Do you listen more to what people say about the Bible, rather than digging deeper yourself? When asked, can you answer basic questions about your own faith?

How Are You Doing? Making Progress or Needs Improvement

2. Loving God (chapter 6)

Without an increasing love for God as the foundation for your faith-walk, how do you grow?
Do you continually strive toward godly holiness as a life-long pursuit?
How does your spirituality compare to Peter’s building blocks of faith (2 Pet 1:5-11)?
Are you hindered in your spiritual growth by desires of the flesh (Gal 5:19-22)?

How Are You Doing? Making Progress or Needs Improvement

3. Loving Others/Forgiveness: (chapter 7)

Jesus makes the explicit connection between forgiving others and receiving forgiveness from God at the close of the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:6-15). The parable of the unmerciful servant makes this core principle even clearer (Matt 18:23-35). Remember what Jesus said from the cross.

How Are You Doing? Making Progress or Needs Improvement

4. Loving Others/Service: (chapter 7)

To love others is the second greatest commandment and influences all godly relationships.
The ways we can serve range from being breadwinner or homemaker to caring for strangers.
Do you serve God in ways consistent with your personal talents, resources, and opportunities?

How Are You Doing? Making Progress or Needs Improvement

How Did You Do?

These categories are not foolproof but should offer some help in evaluating your situation. Are your following Jesus or just showing up at church. Which is it? Or is it a combination of both?

If you want more in-depth assessment tools to diagnose your spiritual health, here are two basic resources: Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health by Donald S. Whitney, and Spiritual Healthcheck: 16 steps to a thriving Christian life, by Carl Laferton.

When asked about spirituality, Laferton said, “Some of us are worried when we don’t need to be. Others of us are confident when we have no reason to be. Most of us know we should be growing as Christians, but aren’t sure what that means exactly, or how to go about it.” Amen.

So, when it comes to a Spiritual Checkup, my four categories above are just a starting place. Take a good look at your answers to these rhetorical questions. Surprised? Disappointed? Now, don’t forget what you’ve seen, but remember what God has revealed to you in his biblical mirror. (Jas 1:23-25). For those serious about their spiritual growth and the lifelong goal of becoming more like Jesus, the Tools segment of this website provides recommended resources.