Spiritual Assessment
Titus Steven Keim
CHPL 598: Spiritual and Professional Development of the Chaplain
January 26, 2025
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Contents
Introduction..................................................................................................................................1
Lust of the Flesh........................................................................................................................... 1
Lust of the Eyes............................................................................................................................ 2
Pride of Life.................................................................................................................................. 3
Combating Temptation................................................................................................................3
Spiritual Weaknesses and Blind Spots....................................................................................... 4
Spiritual Disciplines..................................................................................................................... 5
Ministry Skills Analysis............................................................................................................... 6
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................8
Bibliography................................................................................................................................. 9
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Introduction
There is a love that God hates. The passage examined here (1 John 2:15-17) makes it
clear that God does not want His people to love the world, nor the things of the world. Verse 15
sets this truth before the reader and explains that “if any man loves the world, the love of the
Father is not in him.” John then continues and elaborates on the details of loving the world and
what that looks like, and how it is not of the Father (v.16). MacArthur, in his commentary of the
epistles of John, likens this with the example of Demas that Paul gives to Timothy as someone
who defected from the faith because he “loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:10).1 It is this love
of the world that creates a marked distinction between those who have the love of the Father in
them and those who do not.
Lust of the Flesh
In order to gain an understanding of how the lust of the flesh may manifest itself in one’s
life, it is important to clarify what it is. Most people, myself included, often equate this lust or
even the word “lust” in general as some form of sexual lust. While this is a part of it, it is not the
whole of it. This lust, the general lusting of the flesh, is “the base desire of the human heart
perverts and distorts all normal desires.”2 God has given us good and right desires from creation,
desires that were intended to draw us closer to Him and understanding His ways. However, since
the fall, and as Jeramiah points out, “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked” (17:9). Sin in the heart of man distorts the good desires that God has placed in man from
the creation, and this distorted desire is what John is describing in 1 John 2:16.
1 John MacArthur, 1, 2, 3 John, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers,
2007), 80.
2 Ibid, 87.
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With this understanding of what John is referring to, we can now describe some ways that
this manifests itself in one’s life. As already mentioned, one way this manifest is in sexual lust or
desire. God gave men and women a pure desire for the opposite sex, to be explored within the
bounds of marriage (Heb. 13:4). However, in our fallen nature, mankind has distorted this natural
desire into sinful lust that drives sexual lust outside the bounds of marriage between a man and a
woman. Another way this may manifest in one’s life is in greed. God placed within man a godly
desire to be successful and to do well in work (Ecc. 9:10), but the lust of the flesh distorts this
into greedy gain and the love of money becomes the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10). These are just
a couple of the ways that the lust of the flesh may manifest itself, the time and space would fail
me to list every way, but one other way is that a man is given a natural desire to provide for his
own, but the lust of the flesh manifests when he covets his neighbors things and begins wanting
more in order to “keep up with the Jones’.”
Lust of the Eyes
Similar to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes is one of the gates by which the lust of
the flesh becomes a temptation. Our eyes are a wonderful gift from God, by which we are able to
enjoy His beautiful creation.3 However, because of our sin nature, our eyes become a gateway
through which temptation enters our minds and hearts, leading to lust and sin. Covetousness is
one way that this may manifest itself in a life. By seeing we covet what others have and desire to
gain more and more of the things of the world, doing exactly what John says not to do in loving
the things of this world. David is an example of this manifesting itself in his life. As he walked
along the roof of his house, he saw the beautiful Bathsheba bathing herself and lusted after her,
leading to the sin of adultery (2 Sam. 11:1-5). John lists the eyes because it is easy to see how,
3MacArthur, 1, 2, 3 John, 2007, 88.
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through the eyes, some of the greatest temptations are brought about. And so, they must be
guarded.
Pride of Life
Here we come to the heart of the issue, for it is pride that drives every other sin to
manifest itself. Andrew Murray points out that “pride…is the root of every sin and evil,”4 for “it
seeks to elevate self above everyone else.”5 Pride is the ugliest distortion of God’s creation, for it
is the opposite of love, and we know that God is love (1 Jn. 4:8). If we were to examine 1
Corinthians 13 and all the descriptors of love – long suffering, kindness, not puffed up, not easily
provoked, rejoices in truth, bears all things, believes all things, love does not envy – we see a
distinct opposition to pride. Therefore, it is impossible to love God or practice God’s love while
being prideful. And so, pride manifests itself anytime “sinners exalt themselves and seek
fulfillment in things that glorify the creature rather than the Creator,”6 which leads to the lust of
the flesh and the lust of the eyes.
Combating Temptation
When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus said, “thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these
two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matt. 22:37-40). Jesus is emphasizing
here that loving God prevents us from sinning against Him, and loving our neighbors prevents us
from sinning against them. So, I know that if I am loving in a biblical way and keeping the
command that Jesus gave His disciples to “love one another” (Jn. 13:34), I know that, by the
4 Andrew Murray, Humility. (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2017), 2.
5 MacArthur, 1, 2, 3 John, 2007, 88.
6 Ibid, 88–89.
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grace of God, I will be successful at combating temptations. For, it is by my love for others that
those around me will know that I am a follower of Jesus (Jn. 13:35). When I evaluate my success
at combating temptation, I can see the trend that when my love for God and others weakens, I am
more prone to succumbing to the temptation and committing sin. However, when I am focused
on acting out the love of God as described in 1 Corinthians 13, I am more successful in
overcoming temptations.
Spiritual Weaknesses and Blind Spots
My wife is a faithful wingman in that she will help me sure up my weaknesses and
identify blind spots. I know it is difficult for me to see some of the areas that I need to be careful
with because of my passion in those areas and wanting to demonstrate caring for those in need.
Something I am becoming more intentional about is reflection when a weakness in me is
identified, which helps me to evaluate what has been identified and what measures need to be put
into place to prevent the enemy using it against me in temptations. In several Proverbs, it is says
that “in the multitude of counselors there is safety” or “purposes…are established” (Pro. 11:14,
15:22, 24:6). I know that I need godly friends (counselors) to identify for me the areas of
weakness I may be blind to, for whatever reason. Besides my wife, I do have several trusted
friends who provide sound, biblical counsel that helps me steer true to God’s will and clear of
temptations that come my way.
Evaluating my weaknesses, I know that there are areas that I need to be more mindful of
because they are blind spots, or reoccurring temptations that are geared toward feeding my
fleshly pride. One such area I made of note of recently is a coveting eye. I have a desire to buy a
truck at some point, but currently cannot afford it, and have satisfied myself to wait on God’s
timing and provision as it is not a necessity but a “want.” However, as I drive through the
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neighborhood, I have noticed that I am noticing more and more of the trucks sitting in neighbors’
drives. It’s never insidious, but there is a twinge of coveting that comes over me, and I begin to
lust and desire in an unhealthy way and think about the truck that I want or how it would be nice
to have a truck like the one sitting in a neighbor’s driveway. Having identified this as a weakness
or blind spot, I am able to more effectively combat it by placing my focus firmly on the love of
God and how He has provided everything I need.
Spiritual Disciplines
While I have practiced several Spiritual Disciplines, I have not necessarily thought of
them in such specific terms or defined them in such specific ways. Donald Whitney provides a
great deal of insight into the development of spiritual disciplines, including the precise terms and
definitions that provide a more robust understanding of how to apply the Disciplines. He
emphasizes that it is one thing to have a God-given desire for learning the Disciplines, but
“Christians themselves must practice the Disciplines” (emphasis mine).7 This is a truth that I
have learned through practice, I have never felt closer to God than after establishing a disciplined
bible-study-plan. This practice of beginning my day with bible intake and study of God’s Word,
has been invaluable to my spiritual growth. Add to that an extended time of prayer that has
developed into a spirit of prayer, where I know that I can reach out to my heavenly Father at any
point of my day and speak with Him, and I feel confident in His leading and watch-care over me
throughout my day.
Some areas of improvement for me include meditation and fasting. While I have begun
the practice of meditating on the Word of God, I know this is a Discipline I need to be more
intentional about putting into practice. Additionally, while I have fasted before, I have never
7 Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress
Tyndale House Publishers, 2014), 12.
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focused my fasting on anything in particular, such as gaining insight on a spiritual decision or
seeking closeness with God. When I think of what Jesus said to His disciples regarding casting
out demons in Matthew 17:21 and Mark 9:29, I know that I have never fasted or prayed in such a
way that I felt that kind of power of evil spirits. It is these passages that convince me to be more
intentional in this discipline.
Ministry Skills Analysis
As I consider my ministry skills, I realize that it is not a strength of mine to speak about
my own skills. Even now, I must ask my wife to highlight some skills for me in order to see
clearly. However, as I evaluate the gifts that God has given me to use in serving His body, the
church, I know that I am gifted in public speaking. This is a gift I was not aware of in the
beginning and needed development along the way. God used specific development opportunities
within my military career to develop my public speaking skills. Now, I have a robust skillset in
speaking in front of large numbers of people. And I don’t mind being on the stage anymore,
whereas that was something I did not enjoy so much in the beginning as I would get stage fright.
Another strength of mine is conflict resolution. While this is often an area of frustration
for me, I do have the ability to see both sides of an issue, which is what often leads to frustration
because trying to communicate each side’s view to the other is difficult to do effectively. This
often leads to strained relationships and misunderstandings that I am taking one side over the
other. Finding the balance of showing all perspectives so that they are understood is a difficult
task, which is the area of this strength that I am continually refining.
One weakness that I have is that I have a tendency to become frustrated when my efforts
are not acknowledged or go unnoticed. This is an area I struggle with greatly, because I
understand the importance of receiving feedback on performance whether bad or good because it
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provides insight for potential course corrections, but it is just as important to be assured of the
correct course as well. It is the balance of receiving effective feedback and acknowledgment of a
correct course of action, and the prideful seeking of affirmation. I am acutely aware of my own
tendency to pride and vaunting myself over others that I fear affirmation, but when it is withheld
I become frustrated that I don’t know if I am doing the right things. And so, I must be mindful
that when I receive affirmation, I accept it as an indication of a correct course and when I do not
receive it, I look to God and His Word for the reassurance that I am following His will for my
life.
Another weakness of mine is withholding my feelings when I feel wronged or hurt, I
have a tendency to bottle up my emotions and try to move past the situation without addressing
the issue. Most of this comes from a place of wanting to just move on or not taking my own
emotions seriously or even validating my own emotions as legitimate. This is dangerous because
bottled up emotions tend to build pressure, and the more pressure that builds, the greater the
eruption when the lid pops. I need to be mindful of my emotions and find healthy outlets that
will allow me to address the situation and acknowledge all the emotions involved, including my
own.
The opportunities in my life at this point are manifold and abundant. I recently had the
opportunity to function as the interim pastor of a small mission church in Germany where I was
stationed, while the pastor was on furlough. I have also had the opportunity to counsel
individuals on life issues and spiritual development as well as marital issues and homelife repair.
More recently, the current opportunities that I have include serving within the base chapel,
offering my services within multiple programs. But something I am learning now with
opportunities is that God sometimes allows our choice to serve in one opportunity or another,
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which is a stressful situation to be in because it has stretched my faith and understanding of
God’s plan for my life and His will for my ministry path.
This leads into one threat that has a potential to implode my efforts in serving God
effectively, in that if I take on too many “opportunities” at once, I may not have the bandwidth to
cover all areas of responsibility, which could cause burnout. So, as I evaluate God’s will and the
opportunities placed before me, I must be diligent about seeking good, godly counsel and ensure
that I understand God’s perfect will for my life right now.
Conclusion
John concludes the thought regarding the love of the world and lust by stating that all the
things of the world pass away, even the lust thereof (1 Jn. 2:17). It is, therefore, prudent for
believers to focus on the things of God, for they will last for all eternity. As I consider my own
journey, I understand that it is a journey, and I must remain focused on my spiritual development
through the application of specific Spiritual Disciplines that will enable me to become more
Christ-like and draw closer to God.
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Bibliography
MacArthur, John, 1, 2, 3 John. MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago, IL: Moody
Publishers, 2007.
Murray, Andrew, Humility. Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2017.
Whitney, Donald S., Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. NavPress Tyndale House
Publishers: Colorado Springs, CO, 2014.
