Are You Measuring the Right Things?

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    When you think about a "successful" church or a "growing" Christian, what are the first things that come to mind? Often, we look at the external: the size of the crowd, the variety of programs on the calendar, or the health of the bank account. Another words we tend to look at the numbers right? After all if God is at work shouldn't it be visible? 

    Years ago a pastor friend told me something that has stuck with me for many years. We were talking about some churches we knew who were allowing things that were down right unbiblical. They were doing things that were ethically and morally questionable. However despite all of these there churches were massive and there weekly attendance was always in the hundreds. I asked how in the world does that happen? To which my pastor replied "Well Tumors grow too".  You see not everything that is Growing is good.  

    It is easy to fall into the trap of the "expert" mindset, believing we have arrived at spiritual maturity because we know the right facts or look the part. However, true maturity isn't found in a crowded room or a busy schedule; it’s found in the quiet, steady transformation of the soul. Your spiritual growth is hard to measure in metrics. If we focus on the wrong metrics, we can end up with a lot of activity but very little of Christ.

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy."

 Colossians 1:9-11 

Redefining Success in the Faith

    In the city of Colossae, the church was facing a crisis of maturity. Some members thought they were experts who lived perfect lives, yet they were actually drifting from the truth. When the Apostle Paul heard about this, he didn't pray for their budget to increase or for more people to fill the seats. He did not pray that they would start planting more churches. He did not even pray that they would see more people get saved! He prayed for their spiritual maturity.

    Paul’s prayer reveals that maturity is a process of being "filled" and "strengthened" by God, rather than a checklist we complete on our own. He wanted them to have the wisdom to take what they knew in their heads and apply it to the way they lived their lives. Paul did not want them to just know the truth but rather to apply the truth they knew to the life that they were to live! 

    We cannot measure our maturity by numbers. You can read more chapters of the bible this year than you did last. You can attend more church services. You can listen to more worship music. You can serve more, read more, and do more and still not grow any closer to God than you were before. The metrics that we need to count are more about our relationship with God. 

The Four Metrics of Maturity

How do we know if we are actually growing in our faith? Paul gives us four clear metrics to check our spiritual pulse:

  • Growth in Knowledge: We must pray to grow in our understanding of God's will—knowing what He says about our lives today and our future with Him.

  • Growth in Living: Just as you wouldn't trust a mechanic who has only read about engines but never touched one, head knowledge isn't enough. We must grow in applying the Word through generosity, forgiveness, and love. Don't just read God's word; apply it! 

  • Growth in Fruitfulness: When we apply God’s Word, it will not "return void". Just as a farmer expects a harvest, a mature believer should see results in their character and their impact on others. What is the fruit that God is growing in your life? How has God changed your heart, attitude, and priorities? 

  • Growth in Relationship: Maturity is deeply personal. Much like a marriage is strengthened by going through life's experiences together, our relationship with God grows as we walk through trials and triumphs with Him. This bond is what produces real patience and joy. Focus on the quality you have in your private time with the Lord not the quantity. I have seen couples who have been married for a long time who hate each other. They have been together for years that is true, but their relationship with one another is worse than it ever has been. They have a quantity in years, but lack the quality of a committed loving relationship. Don't let that be true about your walk with God. 

ONE FINAL THOUGHT    

     While Paul focused on the internal, modern research shows how easily we get distracted by the external. According to recent religious demographic studies, many "growing" megachurches in the U.S. report high attendance, yet data suggests that up to 40% of regular churchgoers report feeling "spiritually stuck" or not growing in their faith. This highlights exactly what Paul was concerned about: a church can have a surplus in the bank and a full parking lot , yet still be starving for spiritual maturity.

    So, back to that initial question: Are you measuring the right things? If you look at your life or your church through Paul’s lens, what do you see? Real growth isn't about being an "expert"; it’s about being a student of God's will and a servant of His Word. Today, let us stop looking at outward appearances and start seeking the Lord in prayer for our own maturity, the maturity of our friends, and the maturity of our church.

Location: Ashmore, IL 61912, USA

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