Growing Spiritually
You don';t have to be an experienced parent to know that in order for children to grow they need nourishment — physical, emotional, and spiritual alike. Without proper care and feeding, a child will be stunted in his or her growth and never become what he or she could have been. But with those things, the child grows and becomes a healthy, mature grownup who can function in all ways as an adult.
The very same is true in the spiritual realm. In fact, the Bible uses the comparisons and contrasts between infancy, childhood, and adulthood in teaching us that after God saves us, He wants us to grow and mature spiritually. And it also lets us know that there is a matter of choice and commitment on our parts when it comes to that growth.
That is exactly what the apostle Paul was referring to when he wrote to a bunch of immature believers in a city called Corinth:
Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn';t talk to you as I would to mature Christians. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk and not with solid food, because you couldn';t handle anything stronger. And you still aren';t ready, for you are still controlled by your own sinful desires.(1 Corinthians 3:1–3)
In short, Paul is saying, “It';s time to start growing up!”
The New Testament is very clear that spiritual maturity is a process and that, though we will all reach a point of maturity, we should never stop growing as long we are on this earth. That was Paul';s point when he wrote, “I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven” (Philippians 3:12–14).
The Bible tells us there are several things we need in order to grow toward spiritual maturity, things such as fellowship with other Christians, prayer, and, of course, Bible reading and study. That was partly Paul';s point when he told Timothy, “[Scripture] is God';s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do” (2 Timothy 3:17).
There are any number of books, study guides, and multistep programs available for the purpose of helping the believer to spiritual maturity. And while some of them can be very good and helpful, all believers need to keep in mind that nothing can take the place of regular, personal Bible reading and study.
The apostle Peter, who walked with Jesus during his earthly ministry, wrote of this theme of spiritual growth, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord';s kindness” (1 Peter 2:2–3).
We also need to remember that maturity doesn';t happen overnight, any more than a deep knowledge of the Bible happens overnight. It takes time, personal effort, and, yes, patience for the average believer to see the fruits of true spiritual maturity.
So as you read and study your Bible, remember that you';re doing more than filling your mind with some good spiritual material. You';re actually feeding the inner part of you that needs nourishment if you are to become a spiritually mature believer.
