One of the blessings I had while growing up was this; whenever I’m not doing well spiritually, every other thing I do would not work as they should; my academics, relationships, cordination, and sometimes, my heath. I consider it dangerous to be failing spiritually and be ‘succeeding’ physically.

Friend, in this fast paced society and eventful season, it is very easy to lose grounds spiritually without knowing. It is very easy to go a week or month without remembering when last you really had a swell time with God in your closet.

It is quite easy to go days without genuine encounter with God’s word but mere recycling of ‘old reads’.

Now that everybody speaks Christianese and ‘prays in tongues’, everyone seems to have ‘a word from the Lord’, an opinion about what is happening in the society etc., there should be a way that one can truly monitor and measure his spiritual health.

You cannot judge your spiritual health by social media activities or what you used to know or be, there is a need for thorough examination (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Just like in the physical, there are signs of spiritual ill health. One of such is loss of appetite for spiritual things. When prayers, study of the word, listening to spiritual songs and messages are no longer ‘your thing’, or you feign busyness and cook up all manner of excuses, it is a sign of ill health.

Lack of hunger is a sign of sickness. Like someone rightly put it; “If you do not study your Bible, you should not feel guilty, you should feel hungry.” Our soul must constantly hunger and thirst after God and the things of the Spirit (Psalms 42:1-2, 63:1, Matthew 5:6).

Your growth stops where your hunger stops. Hunger is a divine mechanism put in us to trigger growth and development.

A healthy person responds well to stimulus. What moves you? Does the word of God move you (Isaiah 66:2)? Does what breaks the heart of God break your own heart?

A healthy person has a drive; he is not sluggish. He is running with a vision and burning with a passion (John 20:1,4,11, Romans 12:11). A healthy person companies with the right people (Psalms 1:1-3).

Your true company is that group of people that you are free with; if it is believers, you are healthy, if it is unbelievers, you are sick.

© ‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria