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Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health

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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!

I do like this book for two specific questions that were asked; Do I Thrist for God and Do you Feel God's Presence? The do you thrist for God involves a basic yearning that all believers should posses at some level or another to get to know the God of the Bible better. It gives three specific stages that most people would fall into. The other question about God's presence was great because I'm a fairly low key even keel guy and do not express tons of excitement. This chapter encouraged me in regards to understanding God's presence in a the evidence of Him working within your life and knowing that He will never forsake us even when we can't necessarily "feel'' Him. Also, it distinguished the three specific ways that God usually always makes Himself known to us and that those are the means to commune with Him, not the mystical experience stuff that many see now. Overall good read, but I would just continue to ask yourself the ten questions of each chapter.

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?

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.

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.

The number of books that Christians in general(and the Puritans in particular)have written on assessing one's spiritual health are numerous. The subject of examining one's faith is scarcely writtenabout compared with the last four centuries. Some of the classics(to name a few)from the 17th and 18th century are 'Religious Affections'-Jonathan Edwards,Spiritual Refining-Anthony Burgess,The Parable of the Ten Virgins-Thomas Shepard and 'The Touchstone of Sincerity'-Thomas Brooks. A couple of the books written closer to our present day that broach the same subject are:'The Distinguishing Traits of Christian Character'-Gardiner Spring and 'Profiting from the Word'-A.W.Pink. There is a need for modern books that make such attempts and Donald Whitney's 'Ten Questions...' helps fill that need. Some think that such books lead to excessive(or morbid) introspection, and that may be a danger for some. However the far greater dangerin the 21st century is the lack of sufficient attention given to the state of ones soul. Given the Biblical exhortations to heed this important duty it seems to be ignored in many Christian circles in our day. It is a healthy practice to consider one's spiritual health and the questions asked and examined by Pastor Whitney are not only excellent questions,but much wisdom and gentleness is displayed.InChap.5 ,the question being 'Do you have a growing concern for the Spiritual and Temporal needs of Others?Christians are sometimes unbalanced in seeking to meet the Spiritual needs while overlooking the temporal needs. Thus Pastor Whitney writes on p.71"To say in effect,I love you so much and am so concerned about you that I want to give you the words of eternal life,but I don't care enough to address your basic and pressing physical need,is a denial of my supposed concern. One question that might have been askedis "Do you have an inordiante love for the things of this world? In all fairness though this question is not addressed head on it is touched on indirectly by some of the other questions that are asked.'Ten Questions...' is an excellent addition to the many books that have been written to help Christians evaluate their spiritual condition, and is paticularly important because of the paucity of books in recent years that tackle this subject and also because of the spirit of our age(which is vain and self centered to a very high degree).

"Ten Questions To Diagnose Your Spiritual Health" resonates with a desire to help the reader grow in their thirst to know God more intimately. Donald S. Whitney approaches a diagnosis of the spiritual life in much the same way a physician uses tests and asks questions to determine physical health. Whitney asks thought provoking, probing questions that pierce the heart and conscious of the reader.

Whitney begins by explaining three kinds of spiritual thirst and the importance of each. He discusses ways of discerning God's presence, and why we need to develop a deepening desire for God's Word. He goes on to examine what it means to cultivate Christian love and to respond to the needs of others with concern, especially those within the church fellowship.

Important lessons on exercising spiritual disciplines, grieving over sin, forgiving others, and a longing for holiness and heaven are other marks of health of the spiritual life.

Donald Whitney provides the reader with a growth pattern for Christian growth and a better understanding of how to access your own spiritual health.

This Bible based book is an excellent resource tool for use in small group studies. It is a book you will want to have readily available to read and reread on a regular basis.

The title alone is enough to pique the curiosity for those of us who enjoy quick self-examination (think magazine quizzes), but "Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health" goes far beyond a superficial checkup. Whitney offers background information for each of the 10 areas, then provides practical guidance for improving one's "health" in each area. This is no legalistic set of rules to follow; rather, the book provides insight into how to live out the call of Christ in one's own spiritual development and in the larger community. I daresay any Christian seeking to deepen his/her walk with the Lord will find at least one area that speaks to him/her. And non-Christians might want to read this book to see what Christianity is supposed to look like!

Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, by Donald S. Whitney is a book that I frankly cannot remember exactly how I came to possess. I can say that it is the first book that I read on my recently acquired Kindle which was a gift. (Imagine having the blessing of serving as your son's Best Man in his wedding and getting a present on top of that!) Thanks, Ross, I am loving the Kindle. Irrespective of how I got this book, I am glad that I did. But that needs to be clarified a bit. Because about a third or so of the way through the book, I was not so certain.

This book is not new. Its copyright is dated 2001. The author, Don Whitney, is a pastor and seminary professor in the Southern Baptist tradition although it was clear to me that his is a Reformed Baptist background. He attended Law School for a time at the University of Arkansas before following a call to the ministry.

As the title suggests, Whitney poses 10 questions that any believer ought to be asking him/herself to diagnose their spiritual health. Those 10 questions, which also serve as the chapter headings, are:

Do you thirst for God?
Are you governed increasingly by God's Word
Are you more loving?
Are you more sensitive to God's presence?
Do you have a growing concern for the spiritual and temporal needs of others?
Do you delight in the Bride of Christ?
Are the spiritual disciplines increasingly important to you?
Do you still grieve over sin?
Are you a quicker forgiver?
Do you yearn for heaven and to be with Jesus?

At the outset of this review, I mentioned that for the first third or so of the book, I was finding that there was nothing particularly challenging in what I was reading. That ought to have been a cue to me that my pride and arrogance was getting in the way of very useful instruction. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit gave me a good nudge because while the book is not a difficult read, nor is it particularly long (141 pages in the paperback version) it really is gently packed with some extraordinarily penetrating challenges, provided you are willing to accept the examination of your spiritual health. Many of the answers I had to these questions were not ones I like, so the real benefit to this book will be not the questions, but rather the response I have to the answers.

Just as we ought to respond in serious ways to the make the changes in our physical lives when we our doctors diagnose that we are gaining a bit too much weight and need a combination of changes in our diets and exercise regimine, there ought to be a serious response to the results of our spiritual diagnosis that flows from Whitney's 10 questions. Therein will be the benefit as we realize the benefits of our Progressive Sanctification.

While I read this book individually, I suspect that it could be useful for paired, or small group study, particularly in the context of the formation of accountability.

Definitely a book worth reading.

Ten Questions Final Page Reflection Paper for BMIN 423 by Frank Franks
When taking a final glance over the responses I wrote out over the Ten Questions with comments to what Whitney spoke about in depth in each of my responses, I am left with the summarization that my answer was generally "I try".
I honestly do view myself as Spiritually healthy (I'd better if I think I can teach a youth group!) but there's always the nagging feeling of "Could I be doing better"? And there's always what feels like the "Christian" response to say "I'm not spiritual, I am mud and awful!" as if that would be a good response to say to God when he asked how you lived your life. Perhaps the "I am not worthy" phrase is the best road to go down but doesn't effort and intention honestly count for anything? I could read my Bible non-stop but unless I'm doing it desiring to find God within the pages I'd might as well not bother. I could give all of myself away to other people to work endlessly for them, but then where would love be in that? I would imagine giving yourself to flames multiple times for others would eventually produce hate. It's easy to say "Think on things above not on earthly things" but after you close the book and remember your goals and the things you need to get accomplished tonight, what else are you supposed to do? This world is so busy nowadays and life itself feels like a battle that is raging that I can not stop amidst it to meditate and to dwell on many of the things Whitney tells us to because of all the things coming at a young man today, especially one in ministry.
Making time for God has honestly been difficult since last year...odd to think that once I started preaching regularly and working as a youth intern that it would be harder to focus on God. I suppose the teachers who constructed the BMIN 423 course have heard it and been through it and expect this very thing which is why we are reading this book. My spiritual life may be better when I have more free time, but what about the future and what about the future ministry goals? I sense a big period of wait coming at me, that God is going to give me time in the fall without working with Churches for awhile..but I'm just going to be working in the school cafe either way so a break from ministry isn't going to slow down a college student who has had to support himself since he was 13.
1.)Do I thirst for God? I'd say I certainly hope so! This entire chapter sounded to me so much like the day 2 lesson that Mike Cleveland wrote for his "Way of Purity" course on SettingCaptivesFree.com. I loved the discussion pertaining to John 4.
2.)Am I governed by God's Word? I need to be if I'm teaching it! I can point to many things in my life that I have changed, many old ways of life that I have had to leave because of God's Word. That doesn't always make leaving that way of life gone easy though and temptations arise.
3.)Are you more loving? Well Whitney's right when he talks about the more wonderful something is the counterfeits they'll be of it, that's for sure and it's easy to fall in love with works. I am a very busy person who is very oriented with tasks and spend almost more time doing than being.
4.)Am I more sensitive to God's presence? Finding God through his Word and hearing it preached is something I can do but the way he chose to ask this question still sounds Pentecostal.
5.)Do you have a growing concern for the needs of others? I need to have it for my youth group and I think that I display very well that I put my best foot forward to do just that! The spiritual needs I address much easier and much more often, temporal needs I often neglect to be honest.
6.)Do I delight in the bride of Christ? I'm not so sure of Whitney's statement that the love for God's Church is inborn in those who are born again...I know many who had to grow a love for the Church over time as did I. I would hope I love it as I try my best to show them what love I can.
7.)Are the Spiritual disciplines increasingly important to me?
8.)Do I still grieve over sin? The realization doesn't always hit me as and when it should but yes I still do grieve over sin, primarily the particularly heinous ones I've given up.
9.)Am I a quicker Forgiver? I find that in my life it isn't that difficult to forgive although friends may disagree with me and perhaps I may be wrong about myself here.
10.)Do I yearn to be in Heaven and to be with Jesus? Yes but I relate much more to Whitney as he was when he was a young pastor wanting the older members to be more focused on the present.

This is the best book I have read in 25 years. It is theologically sound and very practical. It is rich with depth, yet simple to comprehend. I strongly encourage every serious Christian to read and apply every chapter.