Are You Growing Spiritually?

by Connie Lyon

The other Sunday morning I was talking with my son in the foyer. Until Pastor Ben walked by and made notice of how much taller he was, I did not realize that my neck was tilted back and eyes focused to the sky. Didn’t I used to squat down to his eye level just yesterday?! Time does seem to fly when it comes to our children, especially when we look back to how much they have grown. This made me think about our spiritual growth. There was a time when we made that decision to trust Christ, and in that moment of infancy in our faith we were ready to take off on our journey. The following devotion by Dr. David Jeremiah is a reminder that accepting Christ is just the beginning!  

From Infancy to Adulthood

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7

When a baby is born, there are tears, laughter, hugs, pictures, relief, joy—it is one of life’s most meaningful events. But birth is not the ultimate goal. Rather, birth is the beginning of a life of promise, hope, and redemption through submission to the plan of God for human life on earth. Birth is the perfect metaphor for beginning the Christian life. No wonder Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). There is often drama and excitement around spiritual birth just as with physical birth. But it is a mistake to believe that conversion to Christ by faith is the end of the Christian experience. Rather, it is just the beginning! Just as a baby grows slowly into mature adulthood, so born-again Christians are to begin the process of growth toward conformity to Christ (Romans 8:29). The New Testament uses the metaphor of growth from infancy to maturity to describe the Christian life (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; 14:20; 1 Peter 2:2).

Are you growing spiritually? Don’t confuse the beginning of the Christian life with the goal. Take steps today and every day to allow the Spirit of God to move you steadily toward maturity in Christ.

Measure your growth in grace by your sensitiveness to sin. - Oswald Chambers  

Jeremiah, Dr. David. From Infancy to Adulthood - Today’s Turning Point. October 3, 2017