3:295 – Where Are You On The Engel Scale?

#faithbites #faithjourney engel

Setting

It’s no secret that I am on a #faithjourney. This is a journey since birth but has picked up speed in the last 4 years or so. I want to better myself and depend my relationship with God and Jesus. Recently I was introduced to the Engel Scale. It provides a tool for reflection on where you are in your relationship to God and where you want to go. It’s not perfect, but it help you gauge. The beautiful thing is no one can tell you where you are at as your relationship is personal.

If I am honest, I am between a +2 and a +3. I have seen other versions of the scale that go from -10 to +10. For you, where are you at?

Remember, it’s not that you are a good or bad person. If you select a lower number that doesn’t mean you don’t love God or are going to hell. It provides a way to help you track and if you so choose, to increase your relationship with God. And before I get flamed, it’s just a tool. It’s not the end all be all of human / God relationships.

Scripture

• 1 Peter 5:6-7 – So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ⁷ Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
• Psalm 34:17-19 –  The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.  He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.

Reflection

No one can tell you you are a good Christian or a bad Christian. God judges how you act and knows your heart. This scale helps to put into perspective things that we may not know. Is a +8 a better person than a -3? Maybe, maybe not.

It’s not about where you start on the scale but where you want to go. We want to be stronger in Christ as he lifts us up in honor. God cares about us, rescues us from troubles, is close to use when we are brokenhearted and in general is our savior, our guardian, and our father.

The Engel scale is useful in that it can help you if you want to measure progress. But just like in prayer, we need to put action behind our intentions. This is all about you and building a deeper relationship with God.

So, rather than ask where you are at on the scale, I ask are you happy with where you are at? If not, what will you do to change it?

Challenge

Take an honest look at the Engel scale. Where are you on it? Then write down what specific steps you will take to move in the direction you want. Remember, your #faithjourney isn’t about being a member of a church in the traditional sense, but rather your relationship with Jesus. To see the change you want, you have to identify it and work it.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for wanting us to be in relationship with you. Help us to quantify where we are at and give us a guide for how we move forward. You are not bound by any scale or linear progression. Let us deepen our relationship with you and go where you want us to go. We put our lives in your hand and welcome the change you bring. In your name, Amen.