Metrics for Spiritual Growth

How do you measure spiritual growth as a follower of Jesus?

This is not as easy as it sounds.

How do you know if someone is becoming more like Jesus?

Traditionally, churches have looked at participation and behavior as metrics.  Participation measures things like Sunday attendance, small groups, volunteering, etc.  Behavior covers things like generosity, sharing one’s faith, serving the poor, etc.

I just had a fascinating conversation with a close friend and pastor about these issues.  He proposed an interesting idea… a single question that really gets to the heart of issue.

One of the things you need to figure out is WHAT IS UNIQUE TO A FOLLOWER OF JESUS? Then measure that.

Giving? Serving the poor?  Prayer?  Reading the Bible? 

These are all good things (and I would argue even essential to spiritual growth) but are not in-and-of-themselves signs of Christian character and growth.

Non-Christians give all the time, often serve the poor more than Christians, have prayer lives (even if unclear who they are praying to) and even read the bible.  No one doubts that the Pharisees prayed a lot and new the scriptures well — not only knew them, but followed the commands well.  But this did not lead to Christ-likeness.

Maybe the answer (or question) is found in Jesus’ own teaching.  This pastor and friend suggested that perhaps the one question we need to ask to measure someone’s spiritual maturity and growth is this: HOW WELL DO YOU LOVE YOUR ENEMIES?

Jesus commands it.  Jesus models it.  Jesus expects it.

It is something that as far as I can tell is uniquely a Christian value.  It is also something that is impossible to do unless you are madly in love with Jesus and living in grace.

This friend and pastor reminded me: your love for Jesus is only as strong as your love for the hardest person in your life to love.

Wow!

Think about that for a moment.

Seriously… think about it.

I think this pastor is on to something… 

If you want to know if you are growing… if you want to know if you are maturing as a follower of Jesus… ask yourself: HOW AM I DOING LOVING MY ENEMIES?  HOW AM I DOING LOVING THE HARDEST PERSON IN MY LIFE?

And if you need a quick tutorial on the Biblical definition of love, check this out.

So how are doing on this one?  What do you think of it as a metric?  Thoughts?