The Bible teaches us that when we accept Christ as our Savior, we are born again, and we begin a completely new life. In a sense, we become a baby in our new life. While it’s certainly an exciting time, it’s important that we begin the process of growing in our faith and becoming more Christlike as time passes. However, many people aren’t sure how to go about growing in their faith.
You probably have very few memories about what life was like when you were an infant. Your parents or the people who cared for you probably have very vivid memories, though. When you were a baby, you were largely helpless. That’s not an insult. Instead, it points to the fact that when you’re a baby, you aren’t physically or mentally capable of taking care of yourself. That’s why you cried when you were wet, hungry, uncomfortable, or tired. You needed someone to do everything for you. As you grew and matured, you became capable of doing those things for yourself.
In the same vein, when you were a baby in your faith, you weren’t able to do much. You didn’t know much about the characteristics of God, and your faith was immature. Again, that’s not an insult, it’s simply a fact. However, as time goes by, your faith should grow, and you should become a more mature Christian.
Unfortunately, spiritual growth doesn’t always come as naturally as physical growth. The process of growing and maturing in your faith is one that includes a lot of resistance. That means it’s up to us to push through and mature in our faith, allowing it to grow stronger.
Whether you recently got saved or you’ve been a Christian for years, the process of growth never stops. If you’ve ever planted a seed, you understand this principle. If a plant of any kind isn’t growing, it’s dying. In the same vein, our spiritual lives are not meant to stagnate. Instead, we are in a perpetual state of growth and maturity. If we’re not progressing, we’re regressing. Fortunately, there are several practical steps that you can take to ensure that you are always growing and maturing in your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Read The Word
John 20:31 (TPT)
But all that is recorded here is so that you will fully believe that Jesus is the Anointed One, the Son of God, and that through your faith in him you will experience eternal life by the power of his name!
Near the end of his Gospel account, Saint John records the purpose of the Gospel. It is so we can believe in Jesus Christ and experience eternal life. It’s easy to take the Bible for granted, because we have so much access to it. You may have grown up in a home where Bibles were everywhere. In many cases, homes have a large family Bible that rests on the coffee table in the living room. Additionally, you can walk into virtually any bookstore and find different Bible translations that are designed to help you understand Scripture. Additionally, most of us have Bible apps just like this one on our phones, tablets, and other mobile devices.
However, having Bibles and access to Scripture isn’t the key to growing your faith. Instead, it’s about spending time every day reading the Word and allowing God’s Word to infiltrate the innermost part of who you are. Make sure that you’re committing time every day to reading the Bible. It is God’s letter directly to you. When you read Scripture, your faith grows because you learn even more about who God is and what He wants for your life.
Putting the Word into Practice
Matthew 7:24-25 (TPT)
“Everyone who hears my teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation. When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation.
Did you notice what Jesus said about hearing His Word? He didn’t say that hearing it was enough. Instead, He said that everyone who hears His Word and applies it to their lives can be compared to a wise man who built his life on an unshakable foundation.
We’ve already established that you should read the Bible in your quest to grow your faith. However, reading it isn’t enough. It’s also important that you spend time putting the word into practice.
Let’s look at this from a physical perspective. If you’re on a mission to get in better shape and build muscle, knowing where the local gym is located isn’t enough. In fact, buying a membership to the gym isn’t going to help you get in better shape. In the same vein, reading Scripture without putting its teachings into practice won’t develop your faith.
When you read the Bible and put the teachings into practice, your spiritual muscles develop. In the same vein that walking into a gym and sitting on a bench watching other people exercise doesn’t get you into better shape, simply reading your Bible and then closing it doesn’t do anything to mature you spiritually. It’s important that you’re putting what you read into practice.
Being Connected with Other Believers
Proverbs 13:20 (TPT)
If you want to grow in wisdom, spend time with the wise. Walk with the wicked and you’ll eventually become just like them.
One of the most important aspects of growing your faith is found in surrounding yourself with people who are on the same mission. As humans, we naturally take on some of the tendencies of the people that we spend our time with. If you spend all of your time with people who are not committed to following Christ, that won’t be a priority in your own life. Conversely, if you surround yourself with other people who want to grow in their faith, you can encourage one another along the way.
Let’s revisit the idea of exercising your physical body in comparison to growing in your faith. Most fitness experts indicate that people who are trying to get in better shape do better when they work with someone else. For instance, it’s much easier to commit to going to a local gym if you have a friend who is committed to joining you. Similarly, our Christian faith is more apt to grow if we are surrounded with people who are on the same mission.
In addition to connecting with likeminded believers, it’s also imperative that you connect to a local church and commit yourself to attending it. When you find a church where a pastor teaches and preaches the Bible, your faith will grow as you learn more about what the Bible says and how to apply it to your life.
Spiritual growth doesn’t happen accidentally. In fact, if you’re going to mature in your faith, it’s going to take some intentional decisions and actions. Maybe you recently accepted Christ as your Savior and you’re wondering what to do next. Perhaps you’ve been saved for quite some time, but you feel like you’re still in the early phases of your Christian walk. Applying these principles can help put you in a position to become a more mature Christian.
One of the most beneficial parts of growing in your faith is that you can help others do the same. In the same way that more seasoned Christians can help you, you can do the same for others.
A Closing Prayer:
God, thank You for saving me, forgiving me, and giving me a new life in You. Today, I want to commit myself to growing in my faith and becoming a more developed Christian. I know that it won’t be easy and that it will take some intentional actions on my part. Give me a hunger for Your Word and give me the strength necessary to put that Word into practice. Help me to find people who are on the same path I’m on and make connections with them. In Christ’s name, Amen.