I was walking to my car and could hear the man’s tirade when I was still six or seven cars from where he and his wife, I assume, were at their own car loading their goods.  It was a Wal-Mart parking lot and I hate to say it but sometimes I feel like having a rant in that parking lot also, but I do not.  Or at least I don’t like this man did.

He was probably a little older than me, maybe mid fifties, and a pretty big man.  A couple of inches over six feet and his wife looked small beside him.  He was almost throwing their bags in the trunk and as I got closer I heard a couple of racial slurs and quite a few choice phrases and words that I hope none of you use.  Someone had definitely raised this man’s ire.

I passed them, heading to my car, and the lady smiled embarrassingly at me.  I never heard her say a word.  I was parked a couple of cars past them and was still loading my truck as he pushed his buggy in front of his car, leaving it touching the bumper of the car in front of his.  I shook my head as he got in his vehicle and slammed the door and backed out quickly, not even paying attention to anyone it seemed as he drove away.  Way too fast for a parking lot, I might add.

I noticed the little fish emblem on the back of the car as he drove away.

This whole episode made me think of the discussion I started on this site Tuesday.  It seems some people don’t think we are able to measure another person’s spiritual growth or that we should.  I beg to differ and really expected someone to show that the bible does give us some guidelines for this.  We should first apply them to ourselves but we can also use them to determine to some degree another person’s level of growth also.  I actually believe we are not really as loving as we say we are when we ignore these things.  Some think this would be judgmental though.

Joh 13:35  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

2Th 1:3  We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

Gal 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;

These verses seem to give us plenty of guidance on how to measure to some degree a person’s spiritual growth.  Loving one another is a given.  Loving God and then strangers is also an indicator.  A growing faith and an ever increasing love is also part of it.  And we talk a lot about the fruit of the Spirit but isn’t one thing it is good for to show our level of growth.  If I know someone that is hateful, bitter, insecure, anxious, mean, hurtful, untrustworthy, harsh, and self indulgent, then I can pretty much say they have a lot of growing to do.  Whether I know them intimately or not.

The body of Christ needs more mature believers willing to become active in helping the less mature in their spiritual growth.  This whole concept of Jesus and me only is so foreign to the mission and the responsibility that has been placed on each one of us.  The Church, the people of God, are supposed to be relational, loving and guiding even the most immature believer to maturity.

I did not speak to the man in the parking lot and I don’t know whether I should have or not.  I don’t know that he was a Christian.  That little fish emblem proves nothing.  And even if he is then I do think it would seem a little judgmental for me, a stranger, to try to point out anything wrong in his attitude.  But if he is a Christian, then I have to believe that there is someone in his life that needs to measure his spirituality against the scripture and speak into his life.  For his sake and the Kingdom.  It would be the loving thing to do.

Our most sacred charge is to go and make disciples.  That is not just the leaders and teachers jobs either.  A disciple is someone that is becoming more and more like Jesus.  If we are to make them then we must measure and evaluate spiritual growth.  We have the tools and guidance right there in the Word of God to help us do this for ourselves and for others spiritual growth.

When are we going to take this sacred charge seriously and realize we have the tools we need and start using them?

Love you all

Tags: Bible, Body of Christ, Church, disciples, Faith, Fruit of the Spirit, Judgment, Kingdom, mission, racial slurs, Responsibility, wal mart, word of god