God wants His children to grow. After receiving the new life in Christ, the child of God begins the process of spiritual growth. It is normal for every Christian to have that desire to grow towards spiritual maturity. Most of us want to grow. Most of us want to mature. Most of us want to be like Christ. Many times, we don’t know how to get started. My prayer is that this article will give a few guidelines to get started on your journey to spiritual maturity.
As you begin that process, it’s important to remember that God alone is our resource for growth. To prove his commitment to our spiritual growth, He gave the church the fivefold ministry to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all can reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God.
Ephesians 4:11-13 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Guidelines for spiritual growth
1.Growth is intentional- It doesn’t happen automatically – it requires intentional pursuit on our part. There is no shortcut. Growth will take time.
2. Choose the areas of growth- it’s impossible to grow in all areas at the same time. Choose two or three areas to grow this year e.g.you may choose to grow in the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace), effective evangelism, etc.
3. Create a growth environment- have an accountability partner.
4. Be consistent- strive every day to do something that adds to your growth. The key to maturity is to consistently “let the Holy Spirit guide our lives.”
5. Develop systems to help you grow- set reminders, have a timetable, set milestones, etc.
6. Be comfortable being uncomfortable- be willing to stretch because growth will stretch you.
7. Be a river not a reservoir- as you grow, identify people that you can pour into. Share your experience with others.
Tools for Spiritual Growth
- Regular intake of God’s Word
The longing for the Word of God is essential for spiritual nourishment.
Jesus said: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4).
This applies to young as well as long-time Christians.
- Intimacy with God through prayer
Prayer is God’s gift to us. We are invited to come boldly to the throne of our gracious God to receive mercy and find grace (Hebrews 4:16).
William Carey once shared “Prayer – secret, fervent, believing prayer – lies at the root of all personal godliness.”
- Confession of sin
We should adopt the same posture as the psalmist, asking God to search and test our hearts (Psalm 139:23-24).
And when His penetrating searchlight reveals specific sins, we must confess and renounce that which grieves our Lord and to make restitution where it is required.
But we have this assurance that “if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9 NLT). This enables us to maintain spiritual hygiene.
- Fellowship with the saints
We do not function as solo Christians. The Lord has provided us with a community of faith so that we can be of encouragement to one another. We can spur each other on in our discipleship walk (Hebrews 10:24-25).
- Ministry with our God-given gifts
We grow when we serve. God has given us spiritual gifts to use for His glory (1 Peter 4:10). Amazingly, when we serve using what the Lord has entrusted us, we grow.
We may be stretched in ministry, but the exercise of our spiritual gifts in fact helps to build our spiritual muscles.
- Faithful stewardship
A child of God will recognise that all that we call “mine” indeed is an entrustment from the Lord. God is looking for faithful stewardship in our lives (Luke 12:42-44). We begin with the little things that are placed in our hands.
The exercise of faithfulness in the use of our time, talent and treasures, and the opportunities He provides, will strengthen us and lead to spiritual maturity. Christian maturity does require a radical re-ordering of a person’s priorities. Having confessed Jesus as Saviour and Lord, the disciple’s allegiance is now changed.
We are to turn from pleasing self and men to pleasing God. Obedience to God is paramount. May you and I grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:17-18).
Prepare your mind for action by making a commitment to growing spiritually. Get rid of the attitudes and behaviors that are hindering your growth.
