How to Measure Progress/Maturity/Growth as a Disciple
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how you can really measure spiritual maturity. To me there’s several Philippians 2:4-8, where we’re told: 1) Christ didn’t regard equality with God as something to be grasped; 2) Christ emptied himself/ became a servant/ lowered himself to the form of man; 3) Christ humbled Himself; and 4) Christ became obedient to the point of death. So obviously we want to see humility and obedience and exaltation of God (not self) in a disciple. The other measure of Christlikeness that really stands out to me is that Christ was a disciple maker and He definitely called all of us to make disciples. How then can we be considered a mature disciple if we aren’t ourselves making humble obedient disciple making disciples?
I’ve also been reading a book called “Deeper Experiences of Famous Christians” One of the things that has really stood out to me is the death to self that has to occur before someone really experiences depth in their relationship with Christ. This isn’t another measure but a description of “emptying yourself” as Christ did. Are you willing to give up your comfort, your feelings of happiness, joy, and everything important to you and rely wholly on faith? (It's not that God doesn't want us to have joy, but that he doesn't want us to exalt feelings over Him, or the gift over the Giver.) When you come to this point, you’ve achieved a new measure of maturity.
These are some of my first thoughts on measures of maturity. I’m planning to think more and write more, but in the mean time, tell me your thoughts. How would you measure spiritual maturity/progress/growth as a disciple of Christ? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
