"Therefore, get rid of all ill will and all deceit, pretense, envy, and slander.
Instead, like a newborn baby, desire the pure milk of the word.
Nourished by it, you will grow into salvation,
since you have tasted that the Lord is good."
1 Peter 2:1-3
Life today is busy, busy, busy! People everywhere have schedules filled with to-do lists, places to go and people to see. Sometimes it's hard enough to make sure the bills are paid, meals are cooked and the laundry's done -- let alone keep up with the responsibilities of our jobs and relationships! Who the heck has any time to focus on something as trivial as spiritual growth?
Well, the truth is, growing spiritually is anything but trivial. And it's certainly not optional, not if you're a Christian. As a believer, either you grow spiritually or you become stagnant, like that dirty puddle of water filled with debris lying in your backyard. There is no middle ground.
So take a minute and ask yourself a question: What about YOU? Would you say that you're maturing spiritually -- becoming more and more like Jesus in the way you think, speak and act? Or is something holding you back in your relationship with Him? Is "life" just getting in the way?
While it's true that God plays a big role in our growing spiritually, we also have to do our part. Sometimes we avoid doing our part to mature in the Lord because of what it will cost us. We fail to realize that putting or spiritual growth on hold in order to pursue worldly things has a cost of its own, where the consequences are not so good.
When we stop growing spiritually, our ears become dull to the Holy Spirit's voice and as a result, we drift away from God's plan for our life. This has all kinds of consequences -- from making our relationships more difficult to weakening our ability to fight off temptation when it comes into our life.
How horrible would it be for a parent to watch his or her child advance in age, but never grow bigger or stronger or more mature. This is exactly how God must feel when He looks down at us and sees we're still stuck in the infancy stages of our walk with God, even though it's been 5, 10, 20 years since we accepted Him into our lives. Taking that first step is awesome, yeah, but being "born again" implies that with this new life comes growth. Living things grow, don't they? Well, then, so should you. That way, when the Lord gives you a specific responsibility, or you find yourself in a difficult situation in your life, you'll be prepared to handle it. If you're still a "spiritual baby," you just won't have what it takes to fulfill that responsibility -- whether it's your role as a husband and father, your leadership position in church, or an illness in your family.
There are 5 essential elements for making progress in your spiritual development.
1. Salvation. This one is pretty obvious. The only way to be brought back to life is to be born again (Jesus Himself said so). If you've already done this and years have passed and you still find that nothing in your life has changed (your character, your attitudes, your words and behaviors), then maybe you need to re-accept the Lord into your life again and allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life.
2. Bible. You really can't expect to grow in the Lord if you only open your Bible on Sundays when you're in church. No one can thrive for extended periods of time on only one meal a week. And just like your body needs food everyday, so does your spirit need spiritual food every day: the Bible. And I'm not talking about a quick snack, either. This kind of nourishment needs time to sink in, to transform your thoughts and shape your character.
3. Sharing. I can't stress enough how important it is to share your life with God. He's just dying to talk to you, to hear from you and establish a meaningful relationship with you, just like He did with the prophets of old. Be open and honest with Him. He is, after all, not just your Savior, but your Friend. You'll never truly know God unless you engage in intimate conversation with Him. Tell Him what's on your mind, what you feel. Do what I do and pretend that He's sitting right next to you in the car when you're driving, just having a regular old conversation with Him.
It's also important that you share with others. We all need a few Christian friends with whom we can openly share our struggles, heartaches and good times. You can't live like an island and expect to grow in the Lord. All throughout the New Testament the disciples helped, supported and prayed for each other. Yes, you want to receive, but sometimes -- many times -- you're going to be called to give, too: your time, your love, your experiences and yes, sometimes even your hugs.
4. Suffering. Nobody likes this part. I know I don't! But ask yourself this: Have you grown more when everything is running smoothly or when you were in the middle of a serious problem? Unfortunately, we tend to reach out to God when things are at their worst. God uses that suffering, though, to strengthen us, make us better, stronger Christians. We're not better than Jesus, are we? Well, he suffered a whole lot and we're called to walk the same road He did. But don't worry. While we're going through the hard stuff, He's teaching us. Sometimes, it's the only way we'll learn.
5. Solitude. Just like your body needs to rest and relax, so does your spiritual life. That's why being alone is essential for spiritual growth. We have to learn to spend some quiet time alone with God. You might think nothing is happening, but God's work is often invisible. When you shut out all the noise of your day-to-day life and quiet your soul, that's when you'll experience His presence.
In the Christian life, spiritual growth should be the norm, not the exception. And yet, because we remain passive and get comfortable and (in my case) lazy, we often remain spiritual "babies," drinking the baby formula even though it's way past time we start eating some juicy spiritual steak! God can't force us to mature and you can't just flip a switch. It requires intention. You have to kind of die to your own desires and needs, to your own wants and priorities, and look at life from God's perspective. Only then will you be able to give yourself over to His care and obey Him when you hear His voice.
Only then will you be able to grow gracefully in Christ.
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[Article entitled "The Heights of Godliness," written by Charles Stanley, found in the August, 2012 edition of In Trust Magazine. I omitted some parts and added my own little flair here and there, but mostly this is Mr. Stanley's work. I thought it was so awesome that I wanted to share it here on my blog...]
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