Spiritual Assessment
Stephen Heleman
DSMN520 Spiritual Formation
February 4, 2023
ii
Contents
Introduction …………………...……………….……………………………..………….………. 1
Current Practice Of The Disciplines …………………..………………………………………….
1
Common Temptations ………………………….…………………………………………...…… 2
Blind Spots ………………………………………………………………..………….….…….… 3
Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………….…….
4
1
Introduction
Over thirty years ago, a mentor introduced me to Richard Foster’s book “Celebration of
Discipline.” As we worked through that book, I discovered how the spiritual disciplines could
help me draw close to Jesus. In the opening chapter, Foster says, “The purpose of the Disciplines
is liberation from the stifling slavery of self-interest and fear.”1 Until that moment, I viewed the
spiritual disciplines as stifling and dry. However, when I began to understand that the disciplines
would set me free, I found great joy in the freedom they produce.
Current Practice Of The Disciplines
The easiest disciplines for me are prayer, study, evangelism, and worship. My parents
modeled and encouraged these growing up. The church I grew up attending placed a high
priority on them and gave us opportunities to practice them. They “fit” my personability and are
easy for me to do. Even my calling as a pastor encourages these disciplines.
I start almost every day with a time of prayer and meditation on the word of God. I get up
early, so I have time to read, pray, and meditate before the chaos of the day begins. I have a shelf
full of journals I have filled over the years and enjoy going through them from time to time. For
many years I tried to spend an hour each day in prayer and study. Some days it is easy and others
it is difficult. Years ago I realized God is not looking for a specific amount of time, he is looking
for my heart. I no longer worry about how long I spend; I simply strive to keep my heart focused
on Jesus. There are times I spend fifteen minutes and other times the hour is not enough.
Worship is also a regular part of my life. I am not much of a singer, but I love to be
creative. I set aside time several times a week to focus on Jesus in a creative way. I may draw
while listening to worship music or list all the ways God is working in my life. Several years
1 Richard Foster, The Celebration of Discipline, (San Francisco, CA: Harper Collins Publishers, 1988), 3.
2
ago, I developed nongoals on my throat. The doctor said if I wanted to continue preaching, I had
to stop singing. This forced me to explore other ways to worship.
I love sharing my faith. I take a team out each week to invite people to church and look
for opportunities to share our faith. My wife and I intentionally build relationships with people
who do not know Jesus. We want to be used by God to bring people to him. There is no greater
joy than seeing a friend give their life to Jesus.
There are some disciplines I struggle with like, serving, fasting, and silence. I am a leader
and doer. I am always on the move. It is work for me to carve out an hour in the morning.
Slowing down goes against my nature. I know it is essential and I work at these. There are times
I am disciplined in these areas and other times I am not. Often God will force me to slow down
with sickness or injury. I also have people in my life who encourage me to spend time practicing
these disciplines, but it is not easy, and I will likely struggle until Jesus calls me home.
Common Temptations
“Killjoys” was a convicting book. It reminded me how deceptive our enemy is and how
easy it is to get drawn into sin. I will never claim that I am immune to any of the seven sins
listed. I also know there are a few sins I struggle with on a regular basis. The three temptations I
most often face are pride, anger, and lust.
I have served in ministry for over thirty years. I have been a student pastor, college
pastor, executive pastor, and lead pastor. I am currently serving my third church as lead pastor.
All three needed revitalization. The first church I pastored grew from 25 to over 200. The second
church from 70 to over 600. The current church I pastor averaged 650 six months ago and now
averages over 700. Unlike many of my contemporaries I do not have my master’s degree (one
3
year to go) and yet God has used me far beyond my ability. I often have people tell me how great
I am and have people on staff that take care of the “little stuff.” It is easy for me to look at my
life and think, “look what I have done.” I know the truth, God did it all. If I am not careful, I
begin to forget God and focus on myself.
I am also a driven and competitive person. When life does not go the way I want, it is
easy for me to be angry. I do not lose control or start yelling. I become demanding and
unforgiving. It shows when my forehead wrinkles. My wife often rubs my forehead and says it is
going to be okay, let it go.
Lust is a new temptation. I have delt with it before but how it currently manifests itself is
different. As I have gotten older, with more grey hair, and a different body, I find that any
attention shown me is more attractive. At the same time, I have more younger women
positioning themselves close to me. They are hurting and think I am better than I am. I am
thankful for a wife who is discerning and allows me to discuss this with her. She stays close to
me and protect me. I have never acted on anything but in a moment of weakness I could.
Blind Spots
Two of my core values are honesty and self-awareness. I surround myself with people
who are honest. I also have three individuals / groups I seek to be honest with. The first is my
wife. We have a unique relationship. We can honestly talk about my struggles. The second is a
group of pastors I meet with on a regular basis. Over the years we built trust and all of us can be
honest. All have shared things with the group we would never want the public to know. Finally,
is my lead team at the church. This includes my assistant, the Executive Pastor of Operations,
and Executive Pastor of Ministry. In a short time, we have built significant trust. When there was
4
a young lady who Emily and I had a bad feeling about. I told them and they committed to
watching both of us. They want to protect me from my weakness and from the possibility of a
false accusation.
The honesty of those close to me limits the number of blind spots I have. It does not
mean I do not struggle with temptation or that I do not sin. It has kept me from living with
unrepentant sin or going down a destructive path. I am aware of how weak my flesh is. I know
how much my body longs for temporary pleasure. I do not want to ruin my life, my marriage, or
my ministry with unrepentant sin.
Conclusion
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has come upon you except what is
common to humanity. But God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you
are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear
it” (Christian Standard Bible). It is through the spiritual disciplines, honest relationships, and the
power of the Holy Spirit that we can live a life that honors God. We will struggle with sin but
there is always victory through Jesus.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
