How can we measure our spiritual growth? People everywhere go to church, bow their heads to pray and hear sermons, but they are not all growing spiritually. How sad.
These are not actions that fulfill our Christian obligation.
Do you experience a thriving relationship with Jesus/God?
Do you see evidence in your own life that you are maturing in you walk with Him?
To grow spiritually, we must first be saved (born again). This happens the moment God makes us new, cleansing us of unrighteousness and adopting us as His own. Then we can begin to grow. We don't want to become stagnant. Even a seed planted in soil, without the proper nutrients, water and sunshine will die.
So will our soul.
We need to grow by feeding ourselves from the Word (The Bible) and meditating on it; hearing other believers share their experiences in growth (testimonies of how God is changing their lives); and praying and spending time with God in the quiet of our minds.
The results of doing these things leads us to:
1) sense a deepening hunger for Jesus/God. As we experience more of Jesus/God who is the bread of life (John 6:35...35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.") we will be feed in a way that will nourish us and our desire for Him will increase.
2) Believers dwelling closely with the Savior will notice that they have an increasing awareness of sin. Faulty teaching and thinking become more obvious as we accumulate truth within our spirit.
3) Our love should continuously expand in our daily walk. The Holy Spirit enables us to care for people who previously were either unnoticed or unlovable and hard for us to accept.
4) We find more fulfillment in our relationship with Jesus/God, instead of with things like, shopping, eating, drinking, wasted time using the TV or computer, etc. (you can fill in other things in your life that distract you from the Lord).
5) Offering forgiveness to others becomes easier.
6) Our faith will increase. God loves us, and He gracefully and gently builds our confidence in Him. As our trust grows, we realize just how faithful He truly is. This continues to snow ball in our lives as our assurance grows even more.
7) We develop an increasing concern for others' spiritual condition. Especially our family and friends and those we meet daily.
8) As our relationship with the Lord deepens, we will increasingly desire to obey Him, out of love for our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. When we sin our hearts will become saddened and repentant.
The closer you get to the Lord, the more fulfilled and excited you will become in your life.
So start today, whether it is for the first time, or a renewal of a commitment you made in the past.
It is never too late to start... so run the race seeking the prize of the Kingdom of God.
Every one who runs this race is a winner!
These are not actions that fulfill our Christian obligation.
Do you experience a thriving relationship with Jesus/God?
Do you see evidence in your own life that you are maturing in you walk with Him?
To grow spiritually, we must first be saved (born again). This happens the moment God makes us new, cleansing us of unrighteousness and adopting us as His own. Then we can begin to grow. We don't want to become stagnant. Even a seed planted in soil, without the proper nutrients, water and sunshine will die.
So will our soul.
We need to grow by feeding ourselves from the Word (The Bible) and meditating on it; hearing other believers share their experiences in growth (testimonies of how God is changing their lives); and praying and spending time with God in the quiet of our minds.
The results of doing these things leads us to:
1) sense a deepening hunger for Jesus/God. As we experience more of Jesus/God who is the bread of life (John 6:35...35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.") we will be feed in a way that will nourish us and our desire for Him will increase.
2) Believers dwelling closely with the Savior will notice that they have an increasing awareness of sin. Faulty teaching and thinking become more obvious as we accumulate truth within our spirit.
3) Our love should continuously expand in our daily walk. The Holy Spirit enables us to care for people who previously were either unnoticed or unlovable and hard for us to accept.
4) We find more fulfillment in our relationship with Jesus/God, instead of with things like, shopping, eating, drinking, wasted time using the TV or computer, etc. (you can fill in other things in your life that distract you from the Lord).
5) Offering forgiveness to others becomes easier.
6) Our faith will increase. God loves us, and He gracefully and gently builds our confidence in Him. As our trust grows, we realize just how faithful He truly is. This continues to snow ball in our lives as our assurance grows even more.
7) We develop an increasing concern for others' spiritual condition. Especially our family and friends and those we meet daily.
8) As our relationship with the Lord deepens, we will increasingly desire to obey Him, out of love for our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. When we sin our hearts will become saddened and repentant.
The closer you get to the Lord, the more fulfilled and excited you will become in your life.
So start today, whether it is for the first time, or a renewal of a commitment you made in the past.
It is never too late to start... so run the race seeking the prize of the Kingdom of God.
Every one who runs this race is a winner!
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