If we want to become mature Christians, it isn’t going to happen without much-concentrated effort.
The ways of the world are drastically different than the ways of God, and it is our responsibility, with the help of the Holy Ghost, to grow in our Christian walk.
God will put much more effort into our growth than we will. If the desire has been in you to grow spiritually, but you just haven’t known how, let the scriptures below help you learn!
If you’ve known but have not been too motivated to act lately, today is a new and fresh day, and is not too soon to start!
1. Grace has two meanings-divine influence on the heart (enabling power), and unmerited favor. Enabling power is one of the results of growing in knowledge about your Savior. Take advantage of this two-for-one offer! A bonus: it never expires!
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
2. When you want to grow, you have to get rid of the things that are stunting your growth. While it is rumored that coffee stunts your growth, you can count on the fact that certain worldly behaviors will stunt your spiritual growth for sure! Remove them from your presence, watch the growth begin!
“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1 Peter 2:1 – 2:3)
3. The Bible tells you that the Holy Ghost is your Helper, and when that Spirit is in you, look at all the beautiful things you have access to! The more you allow the Spirit to work in you, the greater these attributes become within you!
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”“Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22)
4. Think you are a piece of work for God? No worries! He’s got you!
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6)
5. A branch laying on the ground is not plugged into its life source, the tree. It cannot live without its life source. And this applies to your spiritual life. You cannot live for God without being attached to Him, your life source. But when you are, you will surely flourish!
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
6. Fall in love with the truth of God’s Word. The more you love the Word, the more it will change you.
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9 – 1:11)
7. Temptations aren’t fun to resist, but you can overcome! And when you do, your reward makes the resisting worth it, and without guilt!
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2 – 1:4)
8. Connect yourself to the body of Christ. The church is an important part of the life of a believer. You have a place to fill in the body. You have a function that God has created you for.
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:” (Ephesians 2:19)
9. Being a baby saint is exactly as it should be when you first surrender to Jesus. However, growth is expected of you as you walk with the Lord. If you aren’t growing as a Christian, it is important to take inventory and find out why. Re-align your priorities and begin to grow as you should!
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11)
10. In order to move forward, you have to leave some things in the past. Let go of your failures, your grudges, your old sinful habits and mindset. Focus on the exciting future waiting for you, and press on!
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13)
11. When you’ve been taught, it means you spent some time learning. Learning is what causes you to become rooted. Make sure you don’t skip out on learning through the Word.
“Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:7)
12. One way to be catapulted into a blessed life with tremendous growth is through an attitude of contentment. Whatever you have to walk through in life, refusing to murmur about your lot in life is more beautiful than you can imagine.
“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:11 – 4:14)
13. Be encouraged that in the cycle of life, God never intended for you to be an island on your own. It is good to let the older teach the younger, and you will be in both positions at some point in life. Glean from those around you, consider what they share in an effort to help you in your time of growth. Be thankful for their time.
“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:” (Proverbs 1:5)
14. Don’t simply know what the Word of God says. If you don’t practice God’s instructions for your life, they won’t help you in your time of need. Be like the wise man.
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:”“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” (Matthew 7:24 – 7:25)
15. If the responsibilities in life leave no room for the Lord, it’s time to change those priorities. Rest assured-it’s worth it!
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1 – 12:2)