One of the things that we have focused on here in our ministry in Bolivia, is helping people grow spiritually. The slogan that we have always used, and mentioned from the pulpit often, is that everyone should be constantly growing and changing. It is natural for something that is alive to grow unless hindered by some outside influence. The same way, if someone is alive spiritually there should be natural growth and even much growth if cultivated. When I began serving and living for the Lord, I can remember being frustrated when I would fail, and not do what I should. Then one day I heard someone say, “It is not where you are but where you are going that is most important.” That day I decided that I would never be content with where I was in my spiritual life, but would always strive to grow more each day. I think many people though, get stagnated and don’t grow very much because they don’t know how to cultivate their spiritual lives. Here are three steps that will help you always be growing, to be more like Christ.
I. Consume Everything that you Can:
Read your Bible every day.
This should be a habit and you should even feel lacking if you don’t read it. In 2 Tim 3, we read that the Bible is capable of giving us everything we need to live a godly life. It is a living book that the Holy Spirit uses to bring to our attention where we are lacking and what we need to change. When you read you Bible, it is good to write in a notebook or on your computer what you are learning and how the Lord has spoken to you.
Read good books and material.
Set a time that you read every day because if you don’t plan, it won’t happen. Also mark things that stand out and things that you don’t understand so that you can study more in the future. It is also good to read things that both stretch you and that are practical for life application. Another great source of learning is blogs and podcasts. Podcasts are especially good because you can listen while you are in the car or waiting at the bank. Always have something close by to be able to take notes and write down things for future study.
II. Ask questions and Seek Advice:
Another great source of growth is what you can learn from other people. There are others who have much more experience than we do and we can learn from those experiences both good and bad. Here are a few pointers on how to ask better questions by my pastor Austin Gardner.
Study and Read as much as you Can.
This is what we mentioned in point one, but it is important to realize that often we don’t have many questions because we are not learning new things that make us think.
Use your Talents and Abilities.
If you are not doing anything, or attempting new things, you will not have questions about how to do it.
Always ask Why.
It is not good enough to just do something, but always ask why or how you can do it better. No great invention has ever been created by just following the status quo.
Show Interest.
Don’t wait until someone asks you questions. Have in mind already, questions that you would like to ask, or things you would like to know.
Be a Listener.
Don’t ask a question and then start thinking about what you are going to say or even the next question that you are going to ask. When you ask, really listen and even take notes so that you will learn and remember what they said.
III. Get Busy:
Next you should start putting into practice some of the things that you have learned. They say, you never really learn something until you have to apply it in life. You can talk about something over and over, but once you have put it into practice, you will never forget it. This is true in every area of life. You wouldn’t want to have a doctor that had read a lot about surgery but never performed one. Or you wouldn’t want a pilot that had studied about flying but had never flown a plane. The same works in our spiritual lives. When you begin put into practice the things you are learning you will grow in every area of your life.
Ask the Lord to show you where you are lacking and need to work most.
Pick one area and begin working on it until you have made progress.
Don’t get discouraged when you fail but get back up with more determination than before.
Realize that we will not be complete until one day we are with the Lord.
Well I hope these things will help you grow on a daily basis and help you become more like Christ in every area of your life. If there are some things that have helped you to grow or have hindered you from growing, I would love to hear about them. So feel free to write.