When we come to Christ and accept him into our life we begin a journey. This journey should be one that continues to change your life and the way your life looks from the day forward. Unfortunately some people see that day as just a decision that was made and they continue to walk through life very similar to how they always have. Yes, there may be changes in the person, bad habits they give up, words that were a part of their every day language they not longer us and/or places they used to go that they would not go to. And even though every one of those things are great changes to make once you have accepted Christ, that is not where things should stop. Someone who doesn't accept Jesus into their life can make those same "good moral" decisions in their life. What's the difference? Growth......spiritual growth should be the difference between the day you receive Jesus and 1 year, 5 years and 10 years from now. The way you represent Jesus in your life, share Him with others and your involvement in ministry or whatever purpose He has revealed to you during your walk with Him.
Sadly enough a lot of Christians never evaluate their own lives and ask themselves am I spiritually maturing? Do I look different spiritually than I did this time last year, or however far back you want to look. I love how 1 Peter 2 explains maturing. The Message says it like this "So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God". According to this verse God understands that when we come to know Jesus we are like new born babies. We have to learn all that He has for us just like we had to learn from our parents as babies. But the verse also explains that there will be a day that we must stop "nursing"...some versions even say drinking the "spiritual milk". God wants us to always be maturing....until the day we meet Him. And I love that I have met Christians in their 70s, 80s and 90s who have not stopped trying to mature. They literally have said to me that they want God to use them more, reveal more to them for their lives or take them deeper into ministry. I can only pray that I am still thinking about being used more when I am that age. I think it's amazing! But then there are also people I have met who have walked with God 30 years and not allowed Him to use them more in year 30 then they did in year 2. And that saddens me.
No matter where you are today, I encourage you to not let the feeling set it that "you have arrived". Never stop the Holy Spirit from stretching you more, using you more, teaching you more. God will always take you deeper and grow you more if you give Him the freedom and the space to do it. The only thing that can "stunt spiritual growth" is you. If you feel like you have reached a plato and you're not sure how to get to the next level, begin to pray about. Also ask God to bring a mentor into your life that will help you in that growth. Sometimes we just don't try because we just don't know how. But I promise if you petition God to grow you, and help you see the areas of your life that need growth, He will.
John 15:1-5 are the the words of Jesus telling us how we need to always bear more fruit. If you are unfamiliar with these verses I would highly suggest reading them. Jesus makes it very clear that the moment we become a part of Him, our lives should start to bear fruit. He explains that He is in God and we are in Him, so our lives should reflect that by the fruit that we bear. We can not bear it without Him....so to me, logically to bear more fruit we need more of Him. If you know your life has produced a little fruit, but then seemed to stop, dig into more of Jesus and let Him show you ways it can bear more. Just like a tree should never stop growing and producing, neither should we!
God, Thank You that you find us where we are, but You have no desire to leave us there. Thank You for being so blunt in Your Word, letting us know we should always be trying to grow in You. Help us see the areas of our life that need more of you...and more growth. Do not let us buy into the lies of the enemy that what we are doing is enough....no where in Your Word does it say that. Give us the strength and wisdom required to keep growing and give us the eyes to see the areas of our lives that need to produce more fruit. Thank You for your patience with us...and that You never give up on us. In Jesus name, Amen
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