The meaning of spiritual growth
Have you ever wondered what the meaning of spiritual growth is? Spiritual growth for a Christian is often summed up in the word “sanctification.” The process of sanctification is the method by which the Holy Spirit transforms a Christian’s heart from being focused on themselves to focusing on those around them. If you are a Christian, you should not only grasp this meaning but understand how important spiritual growth can be. In this article, I will cover these things as well as some keys to spiritual growth for Christians.
Why is spiritual growth important?
God desires spiritual growth for his people because sanctification is necessary for a Christian to enter into the presence of God in His full glory. Any who refuse spiritual growth may find themselves left out of Heaven when Jesus calls His followers home. Spiritual growth has the added benefit of leading us to a closer relationship with God, which is what we should ultimately desire as Christians.
Beyond the relationship with God, sanctification is important because as you grow and mature as a Christian, you become equipped to help others grow and mature as well. In fact, this is the foundation of discipleship, which is the commission Jesus left his followers with before leaving Earth to ascend into Heaven to be with the Father.
Another reason sanctification is important is to help you fight the temptation from Satan and other demons to commit sins. As you grow spiritually, you learn to recognize when you are in danger, and when you are being tempted. This recognition will allow you to make better choices.
What are some keys to spiritual growth?
Growing spiritually requires good habits. These habits will have to be formed through repeated action. Some of these habits are: daily prayer, Bible reading, and worshipping God.
Prayer is an activity that many people in the Bible did. Daniel, David, Moses, and Jesus all spoke with God on a regular basis. Even when they did disobey God, they would seek his mercy and forgiveness, and continued to pray.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God. I like to call it God’s love letter to mankind. It tells the story of how God chose a people to introduce Him to his creation. It tells of how these people disobeyed him time and again, yet God continues to bless and save those people from captivity and all of the eternal consequences of their sin.
We were made to worship. If you don’t worship God, you will worship something, whether it is an idol, or whatever you replace God with. If you want to know what you are worshipping, look at what you spend your time and your money on. The word worship means to give weight or worthiness. So whatever you give weight to (spend time or money on) in your life, you are worshipping.
How are you growing spiritually?
I pray you grow spiritually through your faith in God! Remember to develop good habits like praying, reading the Bible and worshipping God. Sanctification is a process. You can’t expect to accept Christ’s salvation and be sin free from that point on. There is work to undo all the damage sin caused in your life.
You can do this though. You are not alone. There are millions of other Christians all praying for one another worldwide. Remember, when you feel lost and alone, and like no one is helping you grow, Jesus has promised to never leave you or forsake you.