God gave us the Holy Spirit to be both with us and in us (Jn. 14:17) for a purpose. Jesus referred to the Spirit as our Helper (Jn. 14:16, 26; 15:26) because He never intended for us to figure things out on our own. Hence, it only makes sense we consider the involvement of the Holy Spirit in the assessment process along with everything else we do.
We Need the Involvement of the Holy Spirit to Get Below the Surface
A good assessment will take us below the surface to what’s really going on in light of our alignment with God’s purposes, design, and mission for the Church. To assess such spiritual realities requires examination and discernment that goes beyond mere numbers and programming. The following verses show how we need the involvement of the Holy Spirit in the assessment process.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Cor. 2:10)
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Cor. 2:14)
Since the Holy Spirit searches, or examines, all things, He is able to guide us to the right conclusions. Following His lead, we will reach the ultimate objective of an assessment, which is to make sure we are on page with God. Trusting in our own understanding will undoubtedly lead to an incomplete and/or biased conclusion slanted to our own personal bents.
We Need the Spirit’s Help to Develop Leadership Traits Conducive to a Good Assessment Process
Not all personality temperaments are suited to the assessment process. As we walk in the Spirit, however, He will develop within us the Christ-like traits needed to rise above our natural tendencies (Gal. 5:16-26). For example:
As the more driven personalities walk in the Spirit, He will build within them the self-control needed to keep them from rushing into things prematurely.
As the more analytical personalities walk in the Spirit, He will build within them the patience and kindness to bear with those who don’t want to take time to go through an assessment.
Signs the Holy Spirit is Involved in the Process
The Spirit brings righteousness, peace and joy into a situation according to Romans 14. Though that chapter deals with people at different places on the issue of what food could be eaten, the same truths could relate to almost anything with the potential of distressing and dividing the Body of Christ … like how assessments are done.
Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking (or doing assessments), but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food (or your personal bents in doing assessments). (Rom. 14:16-20a)
If the assessment process isn’t life-giving (edifying, encouraging, growth-oriented, grace-saturated), then the Spirit is not the One in charge. If the assessment process results in disunity rather than peace, not that you won’t have any challenges along the way, then the Holy Spirit did not guide the process.
Let’s learn to keep step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). Let’s yield control to the Spirit (Eph. 5:18) so we don’t get in the way of a healthy, beneficial assessment.
All Posts about Assessments
- The Right Standard for Assessments
- Using Assessment Results in Ways that Line Up
- Guard Body Life When Doing Assessments
- Great Commission: Encompassing or Complicated?
- Assessment Questions from the Great Commission
- Christ-like Standard in Assessments
- Assessing Christ-like Character
- Assessing Christ-like Conduct & Conversation
- Assessments Leading to Eternal Results?
- Involvement of the Holy Spirit in the Assessment Process
- Pulling on Spiritual Gifting in the Assessment Process
- Alignment with the Gospel in the Assessment Process
- Prayer in the Assessment Process
- Do Assessments Really Fit into God’s Character and Ways?
- Concerned with His Name in the Assessment Process?
- Use of Spiritual Weapons in the Assessment Process
- Need for Grace in the Assessment Process