20120520

Spiritual maturity is God’s will for every believer. He wants all of us as His children to grow. In Ephesians 4:14, Paul said that we should not remain as “infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming”. Instead, we should grow up into Christlikeness – the ultimate goal of spiritual maturity. Paul stated this goal in Romans 8:29 as follows: “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the first born among many brothers”.

How can we become Christ like? What is involved in growing spiritually, and how does it happen? These are questions we will no doubt want to ask. Spiritual growth begins with commitment, involves developing certain spiritual disciplines, convictions and habits, and requires participation in church life. We need Christian relationships to grow. Through discipleship and fellowship, we will develop knowledge, convictions and habits, skills and character.

We may be struggling right now with growing spiritually. One reason is likely that we are not close to anyone and also not accountable to anyone. The first step out of this dilemma is to recognise that we cannot grow in isolation. We must always realise that God intends His children to live together and help each other along the way. Then we get involved in Christian discipleship and fellowship. It is God’s will that as we live together in a family relationship, we love each other, teach, edify and encourage each other, admonish and correct each other, pick each other up when we fall, and rejoice and weep together. As we participate in church life we will develop not only knowledge but also convictions and habits.

What habits must we seek to develop in order to grow? Habits that influence our time, our money and our relationships are the foundational ones which will help develop the others. When Jesus is Lord in these three areas of life, He will be Lord of others. With Him in control we grow to be like Jesus.

Therefore, “let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as we see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10:25). If we are not already in a Care Group in our church, let us join one today.