The human heart is one of the most essential organs required for life. This fist-sized organ is responsible for circulating the 1.5 gallons of blood required to keep our bodies functioning. A resting adult heart rate often determines an individual’s level of cardiovascular fitness. Like our physical heart, there is a spiritual heart beat that reflects a believer’s spiritual fitness, it is the practice of our faith.
I have observed in my life how we like to measure ourselves. Most of the time we do this by measuring ourselves against others. I do not see anything wrong with this as long as we are looking at the right markers. What is interesting is most of the measurements that we use to evaluate our spiritual condition are not even mentioned in the Bible and sadly the markers that are included in The Bible are often unknown or even ignored.
I was reminded again of two out of several markers of a genuine faith. Just like the human heartbeat is one indicator of a healthy body, so these two are indicators of a healthy faith. The Apostle Paul opens his second letter to the (young in the faith) followers of Jesus in Thessalonica, “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3). A growing faith and our love for others; these two indicators reveal the spiritual life of a believer and serve as well as markers of the condition of a local congregation.
A growing faith is like the flow of life-giving blood in a healthy Christian and is the result of the regular practice of the spiritual disciplines. Now, most students of the Bible know that reading The Bible, investing time to pray and even serving the local congregation do not make a person a Christian. But they do demonstrate a healthy believer and congregation. They are the fruit of the spiritual exercises necessary for a vibrant faith. I love Paul’s admonition to Timothy, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7–8). A growing abundant faith is the result of our investment in these daily spiritual exercises!
While the spiritual disciplines are for the most part something that happen away from the eyes of others, the fruit of these disciplines is obvious to others, especially those who are close to us. Our love for one another cannot be hidden. The Bible has much to say about this. Jesus indicated that it is the most important marker of a genuine faith. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35). Our love for others is the marker that reveals Jesus in us to others!
Let me leave you to ponder what genuine love looks like through Paul’s words to the Corinthians. “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4–7).
Experiencing this first hand in our congregation has strengthened my commitment as a Pastor to help individuals to become spiritually healthy knowing that the result not only produces a healthy Christian, a healthy marriage, and a healthy family but also a healthy church.
-Pastor Joe Parkinson