"How are you doing, spiritually?"

Thinking:  “Brutal question, loaded question, unfair question.  Why would you ask me that question...”  Answering:  “Good.”  “Pretty good.”  “Alright, I guess.”  “Not great.”  And my favorite, “Oh, fine.” (You know who you are.)

It is true that this question can mean several things.  Ultimately, the problem we have answering that question often comes down to not knowing what yardstick a person is asking you to measure by.  Am I reading my Bible an appropriate amount?  Am I praying enough?  Am I loving others well, encouraging Believers, being a light to non-believers?  Do I take a big enough Bible to church? 

How do you encapsulate what it means to be “doing well spiritually?”  There are clearly many ways to measure it.  For us as a Body of Believers, our first focus is on living out each moment of each day in the conscious, intentional presence of God.  From there, we can focus on how we are to be living.  Without intentionally being in His presence, we are just trying to do what the Pharisees did in Jesus’ time, and what people of other faiths do today.  To live, by our strength, with our wisdom, with our capabilities.  If given the choice, I’d rather have the abundance of God’s presence, and the fullness of His life in me.

The Bible defines this as much of the struggle of life.  A struggle between the Spirit and the flesh.  The struggle to walk in my new life, or to default to my basic desires.

So, perhaps, when we are talking to those we see often, a better question would be, “How much effort are you putting into being in God’s presence right now?”  I’ll try to remember to ask this question.  If I forget and ask you the more general question of “How are you doing spiritually,” assume this is what I mean...