SPIRITUAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND PLANNER
LIVING LIFE ON PURPOSE
None of us are an accident. God created us for a purpose: to live a purpose driven life. We are called to balance God’s five purposes for our life:
- Worship: Planned for God’s pleasure
- Fellowship: You were formed for God’s family
- Discipleship: You were created to become like Christ
- Ministry: You were shaped for serving God
- Evangelism: You were made for a mission
It is our calling, our purpose as followers of Jesus to balance these five aspects of the life he has called us to. But how do you know if you are balancing the five purposes in your life? To help you evaluate your own life in light of the five purposes, we have put together the Purpose Driven Life Spiritual Health Assessment. The assessment involves rating yourself on a series of statements designed to get at the heart issues behind each of the purposes. Once you have completed the assessment you will have a snapshot of how well you are balancing the five purposes in your life. This snapshot will enable you to see areas in which you may need to pursue further growth and areas where you have a strength that you could share with others who may need your insight to help them grow in that area. We have included a health plan that gives some ways you can start to grow on purpose.
It is important to understand that this assessment and the items contained in it are only a starting point and are not intended to be all-inclusive of every aspect of life and faith. As a starting point, they are merely a way to begin thinking about how you are balancing God’s purposes for your life. Remember, we will not be perfect this side of heaven so don’t use this assessment to grade yourself in terms of perfection. The assessment is to be used as a way to help you see where you might want to pursue growth and to point you in the direction of growth opportunities. This will help you form a plan that will help you balance God’s five purposes for your life.
The assessment is designed to be taken in the context of your small group and it is in the context of relationship that we are able to grow as we help keep each other on the path towards growth. This tool could be used to help you determine the overall health of your group to help you determine where you may need to focus as a group in terms of study, ministry, and activities and give you a snapshot of how you are balancing the purposes as a group. To determine this, average the total scores for each member of your group using the health plan on page 68. This would give you a health plan for each individual in the group and one for the whole group itself. Our prayer is that God will use this tool to strengthen your life for Him, for others, and for the Great Commission he has called us to.
HOW DO I USE THIS ASSESSMENT?
Passionately committing to Christ:
Make following Christ and becoming more like Him a priority in your life. Be sure you have committed your life to Christ and publicly proclaim your commitment by baptism.
Praying for the Holy Spirit’s guidance:
It is important for us to realize that our spiritual growth does not ultimately take place by our efforts alone, but by the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Our spiritual growth isn’t so much what we can do for God, but rather our being open and intentional about pursuing God so He can work in and through our lives.
Participating in accountability:
Spiritual growth does not happen in a vacuum. In any other area of life we rely on others to help us to reach our goals. The same is true for our spiritual health. Get involved in a small group or connect with another person who can help keep you accountable and can encourage you in your growth.
Planning your growth annually:
Taking this assessment will help you to determine how well you are balancing the purposes and where you may need to grow. After targeting those areas you will be able to develop a strategic plan to move you toward growth.
Plugging into growth opportunities:
To facilitate your growth on your spiritual journey, we are committed to having multiple growth opportunities. We will provide you with various resources and experiences designed around the five purposes. We want to help you learn and grow in the ways that work best for you. Take advantage of the opportunities available.
Progress assessment:
Set goals for yourself on an annual basis and then take some time to evaluate your growth by taking the health assessment again. You may find that your scores will drop because you have developed a more realistic assessment of yourself. That’s natural. The important thing is that each of us continues to grow.