When I’m sitting across the table from a good friend, we deep-dive pretty quickly into the things that matter: How are you doing? No really…how are you really doing?
It’s easy to put on a show, a fake smile, an empty “I’m fine” – but not with a good friend. She knows you. She can see through the act. And she cares. She’s willing to stick with you til you are honest with her and yourself. She wants you to be the best of yourself and live in the freedom of Jesus.
Some of you have good friends like that. Many of you don’t. I’ve been there. But, we still need a loving push towards self-assessment, awareness, and our need for healthiness.
Through our conversation into the 5 markers of a healthy ministry wife, I hope you will see it as a loving nudge from me, a friend, who wants you to be the best healthy version of yourself and live in the freedom of Jesus.
How do we know if we are healthy or not? Where do we start? Remember the 5 markers (areas) of healthiness? Take a moment for some self-reflection and assessment. Here’s how it works:
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- Get in a quiet place for about 15 min.
- Pray: ask God to join you.
- Read statement below and then on a scale from 1 (not at all) -10 (absolutely), identify what best describes where you are today. *see the graphic
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Spiritual: My relationship with Jesus growing and maturing as I experience him daily. _______
Emotional: I struggle with unhealthy emotional patterns and responses (anger, bitterness, doubt, depression, anxiety, insecurity). _______
Personal: I apply gospel identity and emotional/physical health to my daily life as I walk in independence on the Holy Spirit. _______
Relationship: I experience healthy connection and true community in my relationships (marriage, family, friendships, church family). _______
Missional: I serve the Lord in my God-give calling and participating in active lifestyle evangelism. _______
As you look back over your numbers, where are you healthiest? Where are you least healthy? This isn’t a tool to beat you down in self-condemnation. Instead, take a moment and realize that even when you don’t measure up, God’s grace fills in the gaps. So, talk to God about it. He loves you right where you are. No shame. He gives so much grace in our brokenness and strength in our weakness.
This gives us a starting place – a starting place towards growth. Next, we will start peeling back the layers into our first marker: spiritual healthiness.