Making personal, sacrificial decisions in order to better obey Christ is a key attribute to an individual’s spiritual growth, according to a survey of American churchgoers by LifeWay Research.
“Obeying God and Denying Self” is one of eight attributes of discipleship identified in the Transformational Discipleship study conducted by LifeWay Research.
Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research, said the obeying God and denying self attribute “does not measure a specific list of sins to avoid. Rather it gauges whether an individual has an obedient posture.”
The survey reveals 64 percent of churchgoers agree with the statement: “A Christian must learn to deny himself/herself in order to serve Christ.” Nineteen percent disagree with the statement.
The survey measures confession of sins and asking God for forgiveness as one component of the obeying God and denying self attribute. When asked how often, if at all, they personally “confess … sins and wrongdoings to God and ask for forgiveness,” 39 percent indicate every day and 27 percent say at least a few times a week. Eight percent of respondents say they rarely or never confess sins and wrongdoings to God and ask forgiveness.
The survey also asked individual churchgoers how proactive they are in avoiding sin with the statement: “I try to avoid situations in which I might be tempted to think or do immoral things.” Three-fourths agree with the statement, but only 32 percent strongly agree. Eleven percent disagree, and 16 percent responded indifferently.
The survey also examined an individual’s inclination to adjust his or her attitude through the statement: “When I realize my attitude does not please God, I take steps to try to fix it.” More than 80 percent agree with the statement, but only 32 percent strongly agree. Fifteen percent neither agree nor disagree, and 4 percent disagree.
The survey also reveals other actions that can positively impact the scores of individuals on the obeying God and denying self attribute:
- Attending a worship service.
- Making a decision to obey or follow God with an awareness that choosing His way may in some way be costly.
- Being discipled or mentored one-on-one by a more spiritually mature Christian.
- Reading the Bible or a book about what is in the Bible.
- Praying for the spiritual status of unbelieving acquaintances.
- Setting aside time for prayer of any kind.
The findings on obeying God and denying self are part of the largest discipleship study of its kind. Results from each of the eight attributes of spiritual maturity will continue to be released over the coming months.
(BP)
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