KEEP GROWING
"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him." Luke 2:40.
The Lord Jesus is our role model. Notice the four areas in which He grew:
1. Intellectually (wisdom)
2. Physically (stature)
3. Spiritually (favour with God)
4. Socially (favour with others)
Jesus lived an exemplary life of intellectual, physical, social and spiritual growth. His desires is for us to mature and grow up in the same grace. To grow up is to develop gradually. It is becoming mature.
"14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—" Ephesians 4:14-15.
Babies are not mature when they are born, but we expect them to develop as they keep growing. Just as a baby needs to do certain things to grow, so we also need to do certain things to grow into spiritual adulthood. 2 Peter 3:18. Growth starts with little steps. It requires commitment. Are you ready to commit to growth daily. Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to be committed to growth and study. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15.
SPIRITUAL BIRTH:
"Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.
Spiritual birth must first take place before any spiritual growth can take place. Jesus describes spiritual birth as being born again. Salvation leads to a genuine love for God. It produces a longing to obey His word and follow in His footsteps. Only after spiritual birth can someone grow and reproduce in Christ.
LEAVE SIN BEHING:
In order to grow well physically we need good hygiene.
We’re not meant to continue in sin after receiving God’s grace of salvation. This doesn’t mean we never sin, but when we do we repent and turn back to following Jesus. We're not to live lives drenched in persistent sin. Practise self-control. Keep trying again and again after apparent fall or failures. Don't be discouraged.
KNOW AND DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD:
"that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death," Philippians 3:10.
Knowing God begins with a relationship. Relationship is intimacy. To know God is to spend time in His presence. It is to have an understanding of who He is. To know God is to draw nearer and closer to Him. It is to walk upright! So, deepen your relationship. Pursue a closer walk with God. Give attention to the Holy Spirit. Remove all distractions. Schedule a daily appointment with God . Even when you fall, rise and keep walking.
FAITH:
To grow and mature in our walk with the Lord we must have a total and unconditional faith. We do this by removing conditions from our faith walk. God knows the best way to handle our situations. Hence we must not doubt His plans! Work on increasing your faith daily. God knows all and He has a perfect plan. Romans 10:17.
READ AND MEDITATE ON THE WORD DAILY:
In order to grow physically we need to eat. The human body cannot survive or grow without food and water.
We cannot grow spiritually unless we receive God’s Word. The Bible is essential for our spiritual growth. Make it a habit to read and study the Bible in a daily, disciplined way. Highlight verses that speak to you. Meditate on the Scriptures. Memorize some passages so you can recall them from memory at a future time.
CONSISTENCY IN PRAYER:
In order to grow physically we need to breathe.
You cannot grow spiritually without developing consistency in prayer. Prayer is talking to God. You can pray with your eyes closed or open, while sitting or standing, kneeling or lying on your bed, anywhere and anytime. So begin to make prayer a part of your daily routine. Try using the acronym ACTS (Adoration; Confession; Thanksgiving; Supplication). Commit to to both personal and corporate prayer. Pray for others in need. Pray for direction. Take every matter, even the small ones, to God. Let your fear and worry triggers calls for prayer.
FAST OFTEN:
Fasting is a spiritual discipline. It leads to greater intimacy with God. We gain wisdom and guidance through fasting. Fasting rekindles our spiritual flame! It is an excellent way to clearly hear from God. Prepare your body for the fast. Seek medical advice, especially if you have any existing medical concerns. Eat light a few days prior to the fast. Determine the length. Have a clear target. Take time to pray and read the Bible. Prepare for opposition. Press through. Break your fast gradually. Make a decision to take your fasting life to a deeper level.
PRAISE & WORSHIP:
Praise and worship is the highest form of honour and respect that we can show towards God. It makes our spirits to be refreshed and renewed in God's presence. Praise and worship elevates us into the presence and power of God. Psalms 100:4. It gets our attention back on God. Praise and worship brings us to a place of humility. It is a relationship! Praise and worship is not a ritual. It brings us into a deeper relationship with God. Prepare the soil of your heart with praise, and then allow God to plant His words into the soil of your life.
FELLOWSHIP:
In order to grow in our relationship we need a caring family and supportive friends! Christian fellowship not only includes Bible, prayer and worship, but also includes developing social relationships with one another.
FORGIVE:
Forgiveness is essential to spiritual growth! To forgive is not seeking resentment or revenge. It is not using the past against those we have forgiven. Ephesians 4:32. To forgive is to remain focused. Admit that you're hurt. Don’t deny it. Take your decision to forgive to God. Let go of the offense. Walk free from the pain.
DAILY DEVOTIONS:
A daily devotional time should be set aside for deeper fellowship with the Lord. Avoid distraction by finding a quiet, private place. Establish a definite time. The time should include Bible study, prayer, worship and meditation. Write down any thoughts that come to mind and pray about them.
PRACTISE LOVE:
Agape love is what separate a believer from the world; through it, we portray the nature of God. It is love that comes from a pure heart with no ulterior motives. Agape love is patient; it endures insults and bears with those who disagree with us. Agape love is kind; it seeks out what it can do for others regardless of what it can get in return. Agape love does not envy or boast; it does not lord over others or treat them as if they're less important. Agape love never knowingly or needlessly embarrasses or humiliates anyone; it is not self-seeking, or greedy. Agape love is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongdoing. Agape love is forgiving; it never takes delight in the suffering and misfortunes of others. Agape does not digs up the sins of the past; it protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. We should have a sincere love for others. 1 Peter 1:22.
CHRISTIAN SERVICE:
Meeting the practical needs of others is an important part of spiritual growth. Ask God to open your eyes for ways to serve. Pray for eyes to see needs and a heart sensitive to meeting those needs. Join a service group like the ushering, choir, decorating, security unit, etc. Hebrews 11:6. Be diligent and dedicated. Use your gifts and talents to serve God and others. Be available. Avoid distractions. Be a vessel of honour. John 15:16.
ENDURE DISCIPLINE:
Maturity won’t happen without discipline! Yet it is a difficult thing to accept correction and discipline. Discipline is not pleasant, it is painful. The Bible define discipline as an act of love. Hebrews 12:4-11. Without it we remain spiritual babies. Through discipline we're moulded into the vessels God desires us to be. Discipline is done in an effort to restore a fallen believer and not to punish.
There are three ways we can react to God's discipline:
1. We can despise it. Hebrews 12:5. To despise is to regard lightly, care little for; or view as insignificant.
2. We can resign ourselves to the discipline reluctantly. Sadly, this is how many of us react.
3. Or we can endure discipline by letting it make us better. Hebrews 12:11.
PERSEVERANCE:
Another important element in spiritual growth is perseverance. 2 Peter 1:5-9. Growth takes time! Unless we persevere, there will not be adequate time to grow. Don’t give up in your trials! The night is almost over.
SEEK FOR IMPROVEMENT:
"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Proverb 4:18.
We must strive for continuous growth and improvement by avoiding complacency. To strive for continuous improvement is to keep working on your unique strength. You don't have to compare and compete! You're created differently with a unique gift and a purpose. So stand out! Keep improving on yesterday's best! Don’t be blinded by your success of yesterday; rather improve it with what is happening today. You need to open your mind to new ideas and be willing to utilize different ways of doing things. Success will be past tense if you refuse to change with new ideas. Isaiah 43:18-19. Be teachable! Be ready to learn. Be informed.
BE READY TO LEARN:
Learners have open hearts, ever ready to research and know new things. Proverb 4:5-6. You must never stop seeking for new ideas and knowledge. Learning is a lifestyle decision. Proverb 18:15. Develop a culture of constant learning. Keep reading. Reading makes you to be learned. Enlarge your mental capacity. Develop yourself. Set a goal to read at least a book every month. Read Christian books that will challenge you.
BE INFORMED:
The more you learn the better the information at your disposal. Information is the basis of transformation. The level of information you have will determine the level of your success. The quality of information you have will determine how far you will go. Seek information!
COMPETE WITH YOURSELF:
Comparison will always lead to unholy competition. Competition makes you see yourself as a grasshopper. Number 13:33. The grasshopper mentality is seeing yourself as insignificant, worthless and unimportant. It is seeing yourself as a failure and to have an inferiority complex. So you must beware of competition! Seek to improve on what you’ve learnt. Maximize your potentials. Challenge yourself to be better. Don't compare yourself with others. Avoid low self esteem. Improve continuously from your present state.
DON'T BE AFRAID OF CRISIS:
Everyone detests crisis; no one desires or pray to be involved in one. But the benefit of it is that we grow through it. Crisis strengthens! So take advantage of crisis to climb up. When difficulties come, instead of thinking of them as problem, see them as opportunities to grow. Remind yourself of the promises of God. Isaiah 43:2. Give thanks, even in unfavourable situations. Refuse to give in to bitterness and despair. Believe in God! Believe in His goodness. Believe in His love. There's no easy growth; it is never convenient.
"9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;" Colossians 1:9-10.
Spiritual growth has nothing to do with your position or the office you occupy in the church. It has nothing to do with how busy you're in the House of God. It is possible to be a Christian for more than a decade and yet remain a spiritual baby. Are you growing? Spiritual growth must be intentional. You should examine yourself to identify areas of improvement. Don't condemn yourself up over repeated failures. Pick yourself up! Set a goal for intellectual growth. Proverbs 19:8. Keep learning. Set a goal for physical growth. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. The right kind of food, exercise and enough sleep will ensure that you grow up healthy. Set a relationship goal. Philippians 1:9. What do you need to do to develop stronger relationships? Set a goal for spiritual growth. 2 Peter 3:18. Spiritual growth is a commitment. Keep growing!
In case you are not yet born again, you can take advantage of this opportunity today by praying this prayer: Dear Lord, I come to You today acknowledging that I am a sinner who needs Your forgiveness. I believe You died for me and rose again on the third day. Forgive me my sins, wash me with Your Blood and write my name in the Lamb’s Book of life. Thank You Lord for saving me, in Jesus name.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. O Lord, establish me in my walk with You, in Jesus name.
2. Father, let Your Word bear fruits in my life, in Jesus name.
3. Lord, let me be filled with the knowledge of Your word, in Jesus name.
4. Father, endue me with the spirit of wisdom and spiritual understanding, in Jesus name.
5. .O Lord, baptize me with the spirit of supplication, increase my prayer life, in Jesus name.
6. O God of peace, give me peace in all areas of life, in Jesus name.
7. O Lord, perfect what is lacking in me! Let Your strength be made manifest in my weaknesses, in Jesus name.
8. Father, strengthens me to run the race set before me to the end, in Jesus name.
9. O Lord, let the love of Christ flow from me to the rest of the world, in Jesus name.
10. Father, thank You for empowering my spiritual life to scale higher heights, in Jesus name.
