Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (Paperback)

by Donald S Whitney (Author)
Key Phrases: diagnose your spiritual health, grieve over sin, spiritual and temporal needs, Jesus Christ, God's Word, Holy Spirit (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Christians today are busier than ever before, doing the "spiritual" work they feel called to out of devotion for God. But are these earnest followers of Christ actually living their faith in a manner that is pleasing to Christ? Whitney (Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life; How Can I Be Sure I'm a Christian?) effectively challenges this "busy hands, empty heart" epidemic. Whitney poses intensely introspective questions to aid Christians as they gauge their own level of spiritual health. Do they have a driving thirst for God, as well as behavior dictated by God's holy standards? How loving to others and sensitive to the Holy Spirit are they? Do they experience genuine grief over personal sin and a willingness to forgive repeat offenders? Whitney also discusses the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, meditating upon Scripture, taking communion and fellowship with others of like faith, showing readers how to transform these often automatic enterprises into faith-building activities. He advises Christians to spend more energy enjoying God and developing a Christlike nature, rather than accomplishing ever-accelerating goals. He notes that seekers must be acutely aware that following Christ is a lifetime commitment and that they should resist the temptation to seek "spiritual" shortcuts to intimacy with God. This timely text is full of gentle admonitions to unearth deeply entrenched habits and dig for the treasure found only in a carefully honed relationship with God.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
"...An updated version of some of Johnathan Edwards' best work, this book poses the questions we need to ponder..." -- Mark Dever, Pastor, Capital Hill Baptist Church, author of Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

"...For believers who long for Revival, these are questions to which we'll regularly return. What a tool...!" -- Ron Owens, author of Return to Worship and They Could Not Stop the Music; Music and Worship Consultant for the International Mission Board, SBC

"...the questions the he supplies for this assessment not only help us examine our spiritual health, but...impart divine nutrition..." -- Bryan Chapell, Ph.D., President - Covenant Theological Seminary, Author of Christ-centered Preaching

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Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: NavPress (May 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576830969
• ISBN-13: 978-1576830963
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #122,699 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Tool To Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, January 18, 2005

By	Tim Challies (Oakville, Ontario) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

As believers, we often fall prey to the assumption that those who are busiest, are most spiritual. We look at the people in our churches who are involved in all the committees and are at every meeting and assume that they are the ones with the greatest measure of spiritual health. But do you think that is the measure God uses? Or does he have a different set of criteria by which He judges spiritual health? This short but powerful book examines the Bible's teaching on this matter.

As one might expect by the title, Ten Questions To Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, this book presents the reader with ten criteria that can point towards spiritual health. The crux of the matter, the theme that flows throughout the book, is this: is your character becoming more like Christ's? Here are the ten questions the reader faces:

1. Do you thirst for God?
2. Are you governed increasingly by God's Word?
3. Are you more loving?
4. Are you more sensitive to God's presence?
5. Do you have a growing concern for the spiritual and temporal needs of others?
6. Do you delight in the bride of Christ?
7. Are the spiritual disciplines increasingly important to you?
8. Do you still grieve over sin?
9. Are you a quicker forgiver?
10. Do you yearn for heaven and to be with Jesus?

Each of the questions is approached and evaluated in the light of Scripture and in a way consistent with Reformed theology. In the introduction Whitney writes "In our day, as in theirs [the Puritans], the timeless process of discerning one's spiritual health involves questions and tests. My purpose in writing these pages is to act as a physician of the soul - to ask questions and suggest spiritual tests that can, by the help of the Holy Spirit, enable you to self-diagnose your spiritual health." This book bears a great resemblance to the writing of the Puritans in the sense that they were continually searching their hearts before God to discern where sin had taken hold of their lives. Their honesty and diligence in this matter was clearly influential in Whitney's writing.

There are a couple of places where the author could have taken a misstep but did not. When I saw that a chapter was dedicated to sensitivity to God's presence I began to wonder how the author would approach this topic, and was glad to see that it bore no resemblance to the practices of Brother Lawrence and the other mystics that are so popular today. Instead he introduces the six ways we should understand the Bible's teaching on God's presence and how the believer is to practice them.

Far from being yet another self-help or an easy-answer, ten-step book, this one is deep and penetrating. Reading this book and meditating on the questions will be sure to move believers towards a deeper relationship with Jesus. I highly recommend it!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic-- A straightforward, easy read, March 8, 2007

By	A Normal Guy (Grand Haven, MI United States) - See all my reviews

I give this book out like it's candy. It is very straightforward, biblical and full of Scripture, and practical. I have never had anyone I've given it to say anything other than they liked it a lot and it was very helpful. Plus, contrary to many other books on spiritual discipline, it is a pretty easy and quick read. That's nice for normal, overwhelmed people, so that they don't get discouraged at having to read a huge volume.

Whitney is a scholar and has a passion for the practical, everyday life as it pertains to living out one's faith. I'd highly recommend this book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritually Fit, May 11, 2003

By	Bob Aubuchon (Camdenton, MO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Donald Whitney asks ten questions that examine and probe the Christian like a medical doctor would his patient to bring about a healthy result. This is a solid read and is not based upon a modern spiritualized "self-help" measure. Each question is biblically based and presents a real challenge to the sick as well as healthy Christian. Whitney states, "Nothing in the world is more important than an eternal, life-giving knowledge of God, through Jesus, who is the only way to the Father. I urge you not to take for granted the existence of such relationship between yourself and God. The Bible implores you to 'make you call and election sure.'" Anyone wishing to take a true examination of their spiritual health will do well to read and re-read this book with the Bible in hand. But be ready to discover you may not be as healthy as you think you are in your spiritual health. The Christian looking to become healthy in their relationship with Christ will want read this book.