Five Spiritual Tests You Might Be Failing

Welcome to another Thursday UNFILTERED substack article, the only substack newsletter that observes that some pastors are environmentally conscious. They recycle their sermons during the summer.

Buckle up, Ragamuffins. We’re going to drop into a difficult rabbit hole of reality today.

Christians love talking about spirituality (a.k.a. walking in the Spirit, being an obedient disciple, spiritually mature, transformed, etc.).

But here are five brutally honest litmus tests to gauge your spiritual maturity cred.

No, these aren’t ALL the tests (so chill). But they are some of the most ignored.

Let’s break it down.

Test #1: How you handle the haters

When the critics come for you, that's the ultimate trial by fire.

Watchman Nee said that nothing exposes a teacher's spirituality quite like opposition.

It's easy to zen out when everyone's nodding along like a dashboard bobblehead, but how do you react when someone criticizes your beliefs or experiences?

Do you become a bitter wick waiting to be lit? Or can you humbly separate the critiques from your worth, calling, and gifting?

(In my newest book, 48 Laws of Spiritual Power, I list the three kinds of critics. One kind should be heeded while the other two should be completely ignored.)

Test #2: Dealing with the accused

Has a fellow believer gotten cyber lynched without credible evidence or a confession on their part? When you see this happen, your reaction will reveal what you're truly made of.

Do you grab a virtual pitchfork to carry and join the ravenous internet mob baying for blood? Or do you extend the same grace you'd want if it were you on the receiving end of unproven allegations, thinking the best as love demands (1 Corinthians 13:5)?

Jesus was quite clear that those who judge others will find their judgments boomeranging on them.

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.”

~ Matthew 7:1-2

Treating others the way you want to be treated isn’t rocket science.

If you have a concern about someone being impugned, smeared, vituperated, traduced, maligned with mud dripping from their garments, go to them directly … just as you would want if the tables were turned and you were the one being assaulted with accusations. See Matthew 7:12).

Test #3: How you respond to reality's middle finger

Life has a funny way of not giving two hoots about your plans. You deserved that promotion. Tough luck. You didn’t get it.

You deserve an apology from someone. Keep dreaming.

You should have been invited to that event. Nope. Didn’t happen. And you’re shocked at who was invited.

The old you would've thrown a fit or descended into depression for a week. But the new transformed you, well, you just shrug it off.

See, true spiritual maturity is when you can look at the gap between "what should be" and "what actually is" and not lose your mind over it.

You're not living in denial, but you're also not wasting energy fighting battles you can’t win.

You've handed over your "life isn't fair" complaints to God and decided to focus on what you can actually control.

In essence, you've graduated from the "why me?" club to the "it is what it is" league, leaving it all in the Lord’s hands.

And that’s a much cooler place to be.

Test #4: How you react to life’s irritations

Remember when you'd lose your mind over some random person's comment or a minor inconvenience?

For the spiritually mature, that's not you anymore. Now, you're like a zen master crossed with a mountain lion - cool, calm, and nonreactive when you need to be.

Things, people, situations, etc. that used to provoke you to blow your cork or create high anxiety in your soul no longer trouble you. You are more relaxed, more at peace, less reactive.

You exhibit “Mountain Lion Energy,” something I wrote about in my book, Hang On, Let Go.

You've got that "I've seen some stuff" energy that makes people wonder if you're secretly a wise old sage in disguise. Not really, but you’ve learned to lay hold of Christ as your peace.

Test #5: Forgiving the confessors

Finally, how do you treat someone who actually cops to their sins? We all love to preach forgiveness until it's time to practice it.

When someone comes forward and humbly admits, “Yep, I blew it big time” … is your first instinct to exile them to unending purgatory? Or can you open your heart, realizing that you too are a frail mortal struggling against the fallen human condition? (And yes, you too have sinned likewise. If you don’t understand that, read James 2:10. Also see last week's article Sin-Leveling and Sin-Laddering.)

Based on the abject failure of these five tests, it's pretty clear that the current Christian community has a long way to go before becoming bride-ready (see Revelation 19:7).

In a way, we're all babies stumbling around, but these five tests will help move us toward what actual spirituality looks like. And yes, that includes discipleship, obedience, walking in the Spirit, transformation, and pleasing our Lord.

The good news is that if we’ve failed any of these tests, we can easily remedy the situation.

Yes, you can course-correct. A little repentance, a dose of surrender – that's all it takes to make a sharp U-turn. Forget about wallowing, the clock is ticking. The path to forgiveness is paved by the blood of the Lamb. No excuses, no delays. Your window of opportunity is narrow, so seize the moment.

Will you choose transformation or stagnation? The choice is yours.

Until next Thursday,

Yours in the journey,

fv