Many Christians never grow up (Hebrews 5:11-14).
Some are Christian in name only, having never made a genuine commitment to Christ (Matthew 7:21-23).
But sincere believers can also be guilty of slow or stunted growth if we fail to discipline ourselves. And no matter how long we've been a Christian, we need to keep growing.(1)
So let me offer three suggestions:
1. Pray for the desire to grow.
Ask God to help you become more deliberate about your spiritual growth.
"Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Philippians 2:12-13
2. Pray for a deeper understanding of your need for God's Word.
As Jesus explained in Matthew 4:4:
“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Scripture refreshes our souls, makes us wise, gives us joy and clarity, warns us, guides us, and provides scores of other things essential for our growth and well-being (Psalm 19:7-14; Psalm 119).
3. Do something!
Commit to something, even something small (e.g., reading your Bible daily for ten minutes, memorizing a short Bible verse each week, asking a friend to be your prayer partner). For additional encouragement and ideas, read Challenging Ourselves to Walk Farther and Bolder in our Faith.
It isn't rocket science—it's pretty basic—growth requires planning and perseverance. So let's be deliberate and consistent!
(1) See Christians are Lifelong Students of Jesus to read about four hindrances to our spiritual growth.
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One idea for "doing something" is signing up for a free subscription to 1-minute Bible Love Notes HERE. Another idea is purchasing the helpful book from Bible Love Notes called Wisdom for Life. It has 100 one-minute devotions that can be read even when you have a busy schedule. And each devotion has a "For Further Thought" section so you can dig deeper when you have time. In addition, if you order the book now, you can get two free downloadable Bible studies to use with it. Find out all about it here: Wisdom for Life Devotional.
Bible Love Notes
Excellent reminder to move on to meat at some point as Paul exhorts!
ReplyDeleteThese are two great suggestions! But to be brutally honest, I hesitate asking God for things because of how he might challenge me. Isn't that awful? I prayed for my oldest son 14 years ago when he was 20--for God to do something drastic to get his attention. Well, my prayer was answered with him falling 6 stories and near death. To this day he still deals with aches, pains, and an arm that was almost amputated. I still do not understand God's plan since my son didn't really change. I guess there is still time...sorry to get so wordy.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you're saying, Gail.
DeletePrayer is a marvelous, mysterious element of our Christian faith. So, I'll say up front that I don't perfectly understand how God works in prayer. But I'm doubtful that your prayer led to your son's accident.
I know of two instances in the Old Testament where God gives people things they ask for even though those things aren't good for them (quail-Numbers 11 and a king-1 Samuel 8). But in both cases, the people were in rebellion against God and their requests were against God's clear guidance.
Your request, on the other hand, was/is a godly one.
I think it's likely that Satan is behind your feelings of guilt or fear, and his desire is to keep you from praying and trusting God.
God allows all things that happen, but they aren't necessarily his perfect will. We live in a fallen world and many accidents, diseases, and difficulties come randomly, not as a result of personal sins.
And things often don't make sense to us. Why did someone godly like Joni Eareckson Tada have an accident that paralyzed her while evil men walk about free and healthy? God sees an overall picture that we don't. Things definitely don't look fair and sensible from our small view of them. That's where the trust comes in. (Hebrews 11:1-2)
I encourage you to feel confident to pray for anything in line with God's will. He knows your heart and knows you aren't asking for meaningless suffering for your loved ones.
I love your honesty and your thoughts about this, Gail. I think you may be expressing feelings that others have as well.
Thanks for sharing them.
If you don't mind, they may even end up in a 1-minute devotion (anonymously, if you prefer)
: )
Hi Peter,
ReplyDeleteLet me give you an idea that has helped others. Make a commitment not to go to bed at night until you have read the Bible for at least 5 minutes. 5 minutes doesn't sound like much, but it can help you build a habit.
Another thing that works for some people is to tie their Bible reading to an activity they love. For example, for those who like to exercise each day, they don't allow themselves to exercise until they've read from Scripture. Or they decide not to have their morning coffee until they've read a chapter of Scripture.
These things can serve as reminders and motivators.
You've taken the first important step: you've honestly admitted your failure and your desire. I pray you will let God help you create a new habit because reading God's Word benefits our lives in so many ways!
And I've said a prayer for you as well, Peter.
Hi Peter,
ReplyDeleteThe Gospels are as good as any place to start, but I'd suggest you think about a New Testament book you'd like to better understand, whether one of the Gospels or an epistle. I wouldn't recommend Revelation right off since it's a complex book. But any of the other New Testament books would be a great start. And the more interested you are in the particular book, the more eager you'll be about reading it regularly.
I'm not sure if you're aware of free online tools, but I often use the Bible Hub tools when I read a passage and want more in depth understanding. If you go to Bible Hub and put a verse into their search box you can hit "Parallel" and read it in all translations. You can read commentaries on the verse by hitting "Comment" and you can even see the meaning of the Greek and Hebrew words for more understanding.
I'm not saying that you should do this with every verse. I would start your daily reading by simply asking God to speak to you through His Word and go from there. But, if you run into a passage where you need more understanding, these tools can be helpful.
Yes, I agree with you that we are in difficult times and the persecution against biblical beliefs is growing. It's extremely important that we know what God's Word teaches.
I know God will bless you as you seek Him more regularly!
God bless you.