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Weekly Devotions

Growing Spiritually-June 3, 2019

Spiritual growth. Why is it important?

Monday Morning Devotion-June 3, 2019

 

Growing Spiritually

 

When I was a child I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  When I became a man/woman I put childish ways behind me.     1 Corinthians 13:11

 

            Spiritual growth.  Why is it important?

            Think about it in this regard.  When you first came to know Jesus and put your trust in Him as your Savior was that all there was to it?  Sure, your life was changed forever.  But, were you a ready-made Christian who already had all the answers of how you should live your life?

Were there no further expectations that came with this life-transforming experience? 

            Spiritual growth is the process of becoming more mature in one's relationship with Jesus Christ.  As Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life) says: "God wants you to grow up… but spiritual growth is not automatic.  It takes an intentional commitment.  You must want to grow, decide to grow, make an effort to grow and persist in growing."

            The key word there is commitment.  When you become a Christian, you make a commitment.  Warren says: "Nothing shapes your life more than the commitments you choose to make.  Your commitments can develop you or they can destroy you, but either way, they will define you."

            Take marriage for example.  When you make a commitment to marry do you already know how this marriage thing is going to work?  Are all your problems over?  Or does that commitment require that you work together to have the best life you can live?

            The difference is that now instead of being the Lone Ranger you are a team.  Problems are still going to crop up, but you put your heads together, pool your knowledge and figure out the solution. 

            As Christians there is another important part of that equation.  You pray about it. That's how the answers will come.  Maybe not immediately but praying in confidence is the way to ensure that a solution will be found.

            As the marriage goes along you have a baby.  Would you expect that baby to be the same a year later?  Same size?  Look exactly the same?  How about two years later, then three and as they grow older?  You expect growth.

            Warren says that there are two parts to our spiritual growth.  They are "work out" and "work in."   In the Bible we read: "Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose." (Philippians 2:12-13)

            Here's what the Quest Study Bible commentary says as clarification: "Because even though God planned for and initiated the work of our salvation, we still must respond to His grace.  The work of salvation, though finished on the cross, is still being completed in individuals.  God's grace is fully accomplished in our lives as we cooperate with God, acknowledging His call by our surrender and obedience to Him.  Because God works within us we are able to work out our salvation."

            Spiritual growth is central to our walk of faith.  "If we are going to live the life that God has called us to live, be all that He wants us to be and do all that He expects us to do, then we must grow up spiritually. While many of us know this for a fact, we often get discouraged or simply slack off as we pursue the intentional process of spiritual growth. Through studying and meditating on God's word, praying, maintaining fellowship with other believers, serving in ministry units and sharing our faith with others as we live it out on a daily basis."  (www.philipamiola.org.-posted in Personal Growth)

            Warren says that the key is to take your spiritual growth seriously, and to change your life you must change the way you think.  Since behind everything you do is a thought, you must change your autopilot. 

            He gives the example of riding in a speedboat with the autopilot set to go east.  Then you decide you want to go west.  You could grab the steering wheel and force the boat to turn around and go west.  It would turn but your arms would feel the resistance and eventually tire.  When you let go of the steering wheel the boat would instantly turn back around and head east again.

            He says this is what happens when you decide to change your life through sheer

willpower.  You say that you will force yourself to eat less, but the internal stress that causes doesn't feel natural, so you eventually give up and return to the way you were before.

            The better way is to change your autopilot, i.e. change your thinking.  The Bible says in Romans 12:2b: "Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think."

            Author Philip Amiola (Order Your Life) writes: "When we grow spiritually, we are equipped to follow God's plan for our lives as we understand the hope of His calling and get strengthened in the inner man. (Ephesians 1:17-18, Ephesians 3:14-21)

            Rick Warren concludes: "Christianity is not a religion or a philosophy, but a relationship and a lifestyle.  The core of that lifestyle is thinking of others as Jesus did, instead of ourselves."

            If you have been a Christian for many years like I have you may not think about spiritual growth.  A lot of your personal growth has come from just trying to do the right thing.  Like those WWJD bracelets that used to be so popular, maybe you often ask yourself in trying times just "What Would Jesus Do?" When you seek His answers and try to determine what His will for you is then you will grow spiritually.

 

Prayer:  Lord help us to continue to grow spiritually as we seek your will for our lives.  

                                                                                                                              Amen!

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