All around the world, people go to church, bow their heads to pray, and hear sermons, but many are not growing spiritually.
It is all too common for believers to assume that these actions fulfill Christian obligations. They may complete a checklist but have an idle relationship with Jesus. Do you see evidence in your own life that you’re maturing in your walk with the Lord?
To blossom spiritually, we must be saved. This happens the moment God makes us new, cleansing us of unrighteousness and adopting us as His own children. Then, we can begin to grow. However, even with this new life, we can be stagnant.
There are several indicators that reveal the quality of our Christian journey. Today, let’s explore a few of them. First, growing believers should sense a deepening hunger for Christ. As we experience more of Jesus, who is the bread of life (John 6:35), our desire for Him will increase. Second, believers dwelling closely with the Savior will notice that their discernment of sin sharpens. Faulty teaching and thinking become more obvious as we accumulate truth within our spirit. Third, our sphere of love should continuously expand. In time, the Holy Spirit enables us to care for people who previously were either unnoticed or difficult to accept.
Do you have a hunger for God and an increasing awareness of sin? Is your love available only for those who match your personal standard of performance—or do you find yourself caring about even difficult people? These are important questions to ask when evaluating your spiritual growth.
Genesis 16:1-16; Genesis 17:1-8
Intimacy with God doesn’t just happen. It requires determination and a significant investment of time and effort. As we seek closeness with Him, we must learn ...
Conflict Resolution. In human disputes, there is usually error on both sides. But if we find ourselves in conflict with God, then we know we are in the wrong—He is always right. When Abraham fathered a child by Hagar, there was great strife in his home. God kept His promise to make Abraham a father of many nations but did not lift the multi-generational discord that resulted from his actions. No matter the circumstances, tension with God can be resolved by yielding our desires and seeking His viewpoint.
Trust. Intimacy grows only in an atmosphere of trust. As we understand God’s character better, our confidence grows, and we are drawn closer to Him. Our part is to show ourselves trustworthy.
Risk Taking. The more we reveal who we are in Christ to those around us, the more we risk facing arguments, experiencing rejection, or being misunderstood. But God understands us fully and promises that we belong to Him forever (John 10:27-29).
Agreement. For us to maintain a close affinity with God, our schedule and plans must reflect that He is a priority. We are to be available for His use and open to His direction.
God designed us for intimacy with Him. All that He requires is our presence and cooperation. What priority have you placed on building a deeper relationship with Him?
The Sea of Galilee is about eight miles wide and 13 miles long. If you’d been sitting on its shore the evening Jesus calmed the fierce gale, you might have seen ominous clouds and lightning out over the water. Experiencing a thunderstorm while watching at a distance or from the safety of your home is easy and even thrilling. But it’s another thing altogether when your boat starts rocking wildly on the waves and the rain is pelting your face. Then, what is fascinating from a distance can set off panic in your heart—panic that’s not entirely unreasonable if you’re at risk of capsizing in the middle of the sea.
In this fallen world, everyone will face storms of some sort, whether they involve physical, relational, financial, or other issues. These adversities are hard and they hurt. But they’re not the whole story of our lives, especially if we are followers of the One who calms the storm.
When troubles hit, we might find ourselves wondering, God, where are You? But He is where He’s always been; the problem is that we forget to look in the right direction.
So remember, it is Jesus whose voice commands nature, and He is also sovereign over every other type of tempest we face (1 John 4:4). Knowing that we are frail in storms, He stands with us, sheltering us from the full brunt of the pounding rain and speaking peace into our heart (Psalm 103:13-14).
A storm-tossed sea was no match for Jesus. With three words from Him, it calmed instantly. He’ll do the same for you and me every time if we just turn to Him and trust.
Salvation fills believers with joy, but the devil tries to diminish its effect by sowing doubt and confusion. One of Satan’s purposes in doing so is to make your faith unattractive to others. Confidence about your salvation is essential to counteracting the enemy’s tactics—and it involves a what, a who, and a how.
First, you need to understand what salvation means. Though physically alive, all people are born spiritually dead—in other words, separated from the Father and lost in sin (Eph. 2:12). According to John 3:3, the only way to see the kingdom of God is to be “born again.”
Second, you must understand through whom this new life comes.Jesus shed His blood on the cross to pay the sin debt man owed (Rom. 6:23). His substitutionary atoning death provided forgiveness of sins for everyone who trusts in Him (Acts 10:43), and His resurrection is proof that He conquered death. When you trust in the Savior, your sins are forgiven and you cross over from death to life (John 5:24).
Third, you must know how to live in a God-pleasing way. This is impossible in human strength. That’s why God sends His Spirit to permanently indwell everyone who places faith in Jesus (Rom. 8:11). As we let the Holy Spirit have control, He’ll guide us into all truth (John 16:13) and empower us to achieve whatever God calls us to do.
Sin separated mankind from God, and we were spiritually dead. Jesus is the way to eternal life (John 14:6), and the Holy Spirit provides the divine power and guidance to live righteously. What blessed assurance!
Now that we have a clear picture of what jealousy is and the detrimental impact it can have, we need to examine practical ways to remove the problem from our life. If you’ve discovered that you are affected by envy, follow these steps today:
1. Acknowledge that jealousy exists in your life. Be honest with yourself, and do not allow the envy to fester in the back of your mind.
2. Admit you are in conflict with the Lord. This step is important because it will prevent you from dismissing jealousy as normal or acceptable behavior.
3. Thank God for what He’s doing in the other person’s life. Perhaps He is performing a mighty work—praise Him for it!
4. Do something nice for the person. This may seem impossible, but the act of doing a good work—even if you don’t feel like it—will start to short-circuit the negative feelings you have.
5. Ask the Lord to show you how He views the individual. This is a most helpful step, since it causes us to look beyond our own perspective and see the other person as someone valuable to God.
6. Refocus your attention on what God is doing in your life. His plans for you are just as big and important as His plans for the person you envy.
There’s one additional step for you to take: Adopt a Psalm 37:4 mindset. When you truly delight yourself in the Lord and trust Him to bless you according to His plans and purposes, you’ll no longer feel a need for jealousy in your life. Then deep contentment will replace the old sense of envy and dissatisfaction.
