Periodically, Google Photos will send a notification to my phone. When I click the icon, I see images and videos from one year ago, three years ago, and five years ago. Most of the photographs I take are of my children, so their little faces pop up. It’s always fascinating to watch the slideshow and see, “WOW, my daughter was crawling, and now she’s running and climbing over everything.” Or, “Ooooh, she’s gotten so tall, I remember when baby girl was right at my knees, and now she’s almost to my shoulders.” Those photo albums reveal something noteworthy. I see growth.

Did you know that we are supposed to be “getting taller” as children of God too? Growth is a natural part of life. Just look at the plants. As spring has sprung, grass that once laid dormant now must be mowed weekly to prevent the HOA from sending a letter, I mean, to keep it at a low enough length for the kids to play in the yard, lol. 

As we go from rolling over to crawling, to walking, to running as children, there are shifts in our spiritual maturity process that should be taking place once we have confessed our belief in Jesus Christ and given our lives over to Him. Our growth isn’t physical; instead, it is spiritual.

“How does spiritual growth look,” you may be asking? There should be noticeable changes in our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For example, we may have been the first to curse someone out if they approached us the wrong way, but now we keep our cool and refrain from giving folks a piece of our minds. Another example of progress would be rather than walking around holding grudges for 15 years; you can recognize and embrace God’s forgiveness and forgive others quickly for your freedom and sanity.

“How can I grow spiritually?” I hear you, and that is a great question! The most important aspect of spiritual development is studying, learning, and applying God’s Word. This can be done by reading, meditating, recalling, and applying scriptures appropriately. 1 Peter 2:2 states, “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”

We can’t evolve without God’s Word. The more we drink His unadulterated Truth, the more it nourishes our spirits as milk does for our precious babies. 

If you are someone who struggles with reading and understanding scripture, I see you. God has gifted us with so many tools and resources to study. Churches, Bible apps, commentaries, courses, and small groups assist in this area. Tapping into these resources that rightly divide the Word of truth, that is, present and teach the Word of God true to the original text and context, can aid in gaining clarity. Also, Our Heavenly Father desires that we crave His Word, so even saying a prayer for wisdom, revelation, and application instructions will help, as James 1:5 reminds us.  

Aside from the Holy Bible, one book that I would highly recommend is Life Essentials for Knowing God Better, Experiencing God Deeper Loving, God More by Dr. Tony Evans. Dr. Evans highlights that spiritual growth is God’s command, and the alternative to growth is stagnation and eventual deformity. He makes another point that just like we would be concerned and take the necessary steps to get assistance for our children if we noticed they weren’t growing as expected, we have to examine ourselves as God’s children and take steps to mature. The more we fill out spiritually, the more we look like our Daddy and glorify His Kingdom. When people see us, they will know we are His children.

I would be remiss not to include that there are times in life we may also need to seek professional help to address issues that have stunted our development. In conjunction with studying God’s Word, God equipped counselors and psychologists with the mind, tools, and techniques to walk with us in our growth journey. You can connect with the counseling center at your church, conduct an online search for Christian counselors, or contact your insurance company to get a list of providers in your network. 

Much like my girls’ annual check-up, when the pediatrician displays a chart and shares where my daughters rank in percentile to other children their age, the doctor and I are looking for healthy progress. Fortunately, God doesn’t compare His children to one another, but He is expecting us to evolve from the time we decide to follow Him (become born again) until we take our eternal rest with Him in Heaven. Remember that growth is a process, though. Just like our babies don’t come out 6 feet tall, God is patient with us and recognizes that it is only through Him that our growth is possible. We should want to mature and zealously seek after Him and His Word. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to become complacent and disfigured. I want to continue to spring up! What about you?

Reflect & Relate

How have you grown since initially accepting Christ into your heart?

What are some areas where you see need more growth?

What step(s) can you take today to continue your journey of spiritual growth?

Let Us Pray

Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for being concerned about my spiritual development. Thank you for reminding me that it is your will that I grow and for providing me with practical steps that I can take to continue to grow in you. I do long for your Word because I recognize the transformative power that it possesses. Please reveal areas of my life where I need to mature and help me. As I study your Word, please bring clarity and wisdom. Help me to believe and apply all that I see, and as a result, let the world see a reflection of you when they look at me. I love you and praise your holy name. In the name of Jesus, Amen. 

If you haven’t already, I invite you to grab your copy of my book, A Glimpse of Our Father: Lessons Parenthood Reveals for All of God’s Children, and join us for our virtual book club/small group called Gathering for a Glimpse where we explore each lesson in the book. This is a time to go deeper in who we are as God’s children and who God is as our Father with thought provoking discussion questions, fellowship with other believers, and prayer for one another throughout the journey.  Season 3 is currently underway. Sign up by clicking here.