It was beginning to be ingrained in my head. I was being taught how to grow as a person, as a salesman, as a leader, and as a man. This wasn’t in the church, but in a business. They valued reading great books and taking action. It made sense so I began to read. I hated to read! But I bit the bullet. And grow I did.
From there, when I was introduced to the God of the Bible and His church, I seemed to be prepared for what lay ahead. My journey of discovery wasn’t complex, it wasn’t epic by any means, it was a fusion of 3 simple and dependable paths to spiritual growth. Together these acted as a combined catalyst that caused to have a little bit of a clue by the time I got to Bible College – a little over a year after I began following Jesus. And I’d like to share those paths to spiritual growth with you.
3 Simple and Dependable Paths to Spiritual Growth
1. A Little Every Day
Did I mention that reading was pushed and pushed and pushed in the business I was a part of? My willingness to begin reading set up a pattern that I took with me when I began reading the Bible – a little (before bed) every day.
The thought is, whatever you put into your mind right before bed sets the tone for the next day. It made sense so I adopted it. Instead of always reading leadership and self-help books before bed I began reading the Bible before bed. A little every day.[shareable]Whatever you put into your mind right before bed sets the tone for the next day.[/shareable]
This very same thing goes for praying. I didn’t start my journey of spiritual growth with long, tedious prayers. I began with short prayers that were real and raw. A little every day began to be the pattern for me, not only in Bible reading, but also in prayer.
If you want to get on a path that is going to surely result in spiritual growth, then start here.
2. With Others
I CANNOT tell you how much this was key for me (and my wife, Sara). I was stretched every single Sunday as our group of young married couples gathered before church service to study, discuss, and grow. People in our group would talk about the Bible and God as if they knew Him and His words.
We read Scripture together. We learned together. We talked about life and the difficulties that came with it. For the first time in my life I was surrounded by people close to my age who loved Jesus. They welcomed Sara and I into the group and before too long, we found community. We found a group of people that we could count on to grow alongside of.
If you want to take your spiritual growth to the next level then level up with this path.
[shareable]If you want to take your spiritual growth to the next level then level up with this path.[/shareable]
3. A Spirit-Infused Dialogue
Every week, without fail, I took part in a spirit-infused dialogue between the preacher, God, God’s word, and myself. As He spoke, God was at work in Him and in me. I took what I was gleaning and wrote it down in a notebook I brought with me every week.
Taking notes from the sermon. It seems so simple. Yet it’s understood that when you handwrite notes, your long-term comprehension of whatever you are learning is better. When you take notes from the sermon you are interacting with the message in a very real way. You are processing it and (as we like to say in the church world) chewing on it.
The sermon functions in many ways. It can:
- Stir your heart with Godly conviction
- Point you to your sickness
- Display the kindness and severity of God
- Show you who Jesus is
- Compel you to love more and to love better
- Teach you the Bible
- Open your heart to more devotion
The sermon can do this because it is a Spirit-infused dialogue. God is at work in the midst of it, and if you are operating from a place of receiving it, you’ll grow and respond.[shareable]The sermon is a Spirit-infused dialogue.[/shareable]
If you want to open yourself to God’s grace and truth then stay on this path every week.
What Would You Add?
What has been a simple and dependable path to spiritual growth for you? I’d love to hear your insights! Leave a comment below or connect with me on Twitter or Facebook.
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