Discipleship is more than believing right things … it is a WAY OF LIVING.  It is a lifestyle … a particular habit of thinking, speaking and acting.  The following areas of examination will help you move along in your journey to Christ-likeness.  In the blank provided at the beginning of each focus area, rate yourself from 0 to 9.  “0” represents failure in that area, and “9” means you’re having habitual success.  The results are between you and the Lord—so be honest.

EQUIPPED FOR SPIRITUAL INTIMACY

___It is the routine of my life to spend time alone with God to read the Bible and pray.

___Beyond that, I am cognizant that Jesus is “with me” all day long, which has a decided effect on all my thoughts and actions.

EQUIPPED TO THINK

___Gentleness.  My life is free from all outbursts of selfish rage or anger.  I am approachable, easily entreated and open to criticism.  I don’t get defensive when I’m corrected or rebuked.

___Humility.  I do not have an inflated self-opinion, and I constantly consider others higher than myself.  I have a teachable spirit and avoid all bragging, name-dropping and spiritual pride.

___Pure Attitudes.  My lifestyle is one of right relationships, not just outwardly but inwardly too.  I have no hate, ill-will, malice or bitterness toward any other person anywhere on earth.

___Boldness.  I have been able to launch out and take risks for God, keeping fear under control and being obedient to God.  There is no God-given task that I’m resisting because of fear.

___Trust.  I not only believe but act as if, “His eye is on the sparrow and I know He’s watching me.”  My life is one of simple reliance of God.  I’m free from worry and anxiety about the future.

___Resisting Materialism.  I resist the materialistic lifestyle of my culture, choosing rather to live a life of contentment and satisfaction with what I’ve got.  I’m not always “wanting more.”

___Selfish Ambition.  I have laid aside all jealousy of another’s success, envy and selfish ambition.  I do not eagerly hunger to climb the ladder to gain personal power and position.

___Thoughts.  My mind is absolutely free from all impure thoughts.  I have habitual victory over all sinful sexual fantasies or daydreams.

___Guarding the Eye Gate.  I carefully guard what I allow to enter my mind through the gate of my eyes, avoiding questionable movies, magazines, videos, internet websites and TV shows that could cause me moral problems.

EQUIPPED TO QUIT

___Harmony.  I’m not a participant in any group sins, like quarreling, dissension, fighting or factions  in the congregation, at work or in my family.

___Forgiveness.  If there is an individual or group of people who hurt me in the past, I hold no resentment, bitterness, or grudge against them.  I have fully forgiven everyone who has ever hurt me.

___Restitution.  If I’ve taken things which do not belong to me, or hurt people by what I said or did,  I’ve tried to make things right.

___Stealing.  I’m careful to avoid taking anything that belongs to another, no matter how small.

EQUIPPED TO SPEAK

___Truthfulness.  My yes is yes, my no is no.  I totally avoid half-truths, white lies, flattery or exaggeration.  I practice absolute honesty in speech.

___Tongue Stewardship.  I abstain from slander, gossip, harshness, unkindness, biting criticism,  caustic remarks, obscenity, foolish talk and coarse joking.  Instead, I use my tongue to build others up, giving words of encouragement, comfort, help, inspiration and challenge.

___Thanksgiving.  It is the habit of my life to thank God and others for what they have done.  I can honestly say that I am a thankful person and often express my gratitude.

___Peacemaking.  It is my practice to try to bring peace between others who are at odds.  I don’t just stand by and allow division to fester without trying to get involved to bring peace.

___Restoring Others.  I hurt when sin overtakes another Christian.  I often get involved, humbly  coming alongside to help them back to their feet spiritually.

___Evangelism.  I typically share the gospel with unsaved people.  Evangelism is a habit of my life.

___Meekness.  I refuse to fight back when people criticize, condemn, reject or complain against me, even if they do it with wrong motives.  I practice giving a soft answer to turn away their wrath.

EQUIPPED TO WALK

___Compassion in Action.  I search out opportunities to care for the needy.  I visit sick people, aid the elderly, visit prisoners, and clothe the destitute.  My compassion is more than feeling; it leads to action.

___Persistence.  It is normal for me to hang in there when things get difficult, stressful or unrewarding, even if I must face suffering, difficulty or persecution.  My persistence keeps me from giving up too easily so I just keep on keeping on.

___Submission.  I do not resist those in authority over me, even if they are less competent or less gifted.

___Right Relationships.  Reflecting on all my relationships past and present, I’m able to say there are no broken relationships with anybody which I have not attempted to straighten out.

___Giving.  I regularly practice generous giving to both the church and the poor, to the homeless and helpless, to widows and orphans.  My home is open to regular hospitality.  Generosity is normal behavior for me.

___Living Above Reproach.  I carefully attend to my relationships with the opposite sex so that not even the hint of impropriety exists.  I painstakingly avoid situations that could feed sinful desires or even tempt others to gossip about me, and I have no dangerous emotional bonds that could lead to trouble.

___Use of Time.  I’m a good steward of my time.  I live close enough to Christ that His priorities are becoming my priorities and I do not waste time on watching too much TV or other time-wasting activities.

EQUIPPED FOR A GODLY HOME

___Family Time.  It is the routine of my life to control the amount of time I spend at work, pleasure and other activities which take too much time from my family.  Family time is a high priority in my life and I live like it is.

EQUIPPED FOR SPIRITUAL PASSION 

___I hunger to become more Christ-like and take my spiritual growth seriously.  I do not ignore, dismiss or excuse areas where I fall short, even in all those listed above, since I have a spiritual passion for becoming more like Jesus.