Measuring Progress

Making progress is difficult to measure in certain contexts. It is easy to see the progress of construction of a house or business or church building. On the other hand it is another thing to size up the changes in a person’s personality, behaviors, mental and spiritual development. Tests have long provided attempted measures of cognitive development, testing groups of individuals over time on the same or similar material to validate learning progress.

But where does one get a handle on how well a person has understood and responded to the spiritual disciplines? How do we measure the validity of change, if the changes require continuous observation over time? What the apostle Paul suggested was the capacity of each person to evaluate themselves in light of their own choices. While some self-indulgent types might attempt to deny negative choices when they were apparent in an attempt to avoid criticism, it stands to reason that they still know what they did. Yet there must be a greater measuring standard.

The New Testament offers the model of Jesus as the highest standard for our self-analysis, with the equally compelling reminder that God knows the heart of every person. There is no gaming God. There is no cheating divine knowledge. Pretenders don’t stand a chance of “getting by” the one who made them and gave them capacity for life.

Our progress will ultimately be a measure of humility in confession and repentance. Our ultimate benefit will be experienced in the forgiveness made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins. Understanding our sinfulness makes possible the confession of faith in our Savior and Lord.

Progress for human beings will by every measure be a gift from God. Our willingness to receive such a gift begins in the open heart and open mind that understand sin for what it is…the destroying divide between the present life apart from God and the eternal and abundant life made possible through faith in Jesus.

The measure of the progress we are making toward the future as God has promised is the measure of our trust and obedience in following Christ. Our peers will observe much in the manner of choices we make, in the measure of our presence and witness and worship….but God will know our heart….through and through.

Remembering that…should keep us mindful of every day as a day for taking aim…and moving forward…as we follow Jesus. In a world with few reliable measures…he will always bear the test as the one to show us the way.