Contemplating spiritual growth...Are you ready to grow?

Spiritual growth.

It's a process.  You can look at it a number of ways.  Really.  But it's not the process that has had me befuddled this week.

What has been swirling around in my heart, mind, and spirit this week is a word that I couldn't put my finger on at first.  But I will come back to this word later.

First, I want to share this.  When I mention spiritual growth, I'm talking about the natural result/consequence/product of an intentional relationship with God.  That spiritual growth might happen under the surface, in the darkness, in the hidden places as well as in the light and open places, but it will happen because of the intentional relationship.  Because of grace (especially prevenient grace), there is much going on in the growth spectrum unbeknownst to any of us prior to our acknowledgement of such relationship.  But that isn't my focus here today.

Words that came to mind as I was thinking about spiritual growth earlier this morning: grace, cultivate, intentional, process, grow, community, worship, next step...  I was searching through a bunch of pictures from a Google search on "spiritual growth" and those words (as well as many images) resonated with my thoughts on spiritual growth.

Here are the images that captured my thoughts on spiritual growth:

First.... Are you ready to grow?

If you aren't ready...
If I'm not ready...
If we're not ready...
it's not going to happen.

By grace (again), it could happen. God works in us even when we're not paying attention, but God doesn't force.

 

 Growth from reading/studying the Word/Scriptures.

Stages of growth.

 

What are my next steps on the journey?  Spiritual growth is an ongoing journey.  There will always be a next step.  Listening, seeking, being open to next steps of growth is part of the growth journey.

 

 



I found this quote today.  It's great!  We do stand, fall, stand back up, take steps, fall again, walk, wobble, fall, run, fall.... but, eventually we fly!  Awesome!  The journey of spiritual growth (of any growth) is not easy or painless, but it is worth it.  To grow emotionally, physically, spiritually, and even financially (though I'm not sure I will experience financial growth in my life), there is growth pain involved because of falling down, failures, mistakes, etc.  But we learn in and through all of those experiences too... or can.   I want to fly!  Before I fly in my spiritual growth, I will continue to wobble like the "weebles" and I will even fall down.  One day, I will fly!

In my search for images and in thinking about spiritual growth, there was one image and one word that struck me as the counterproductive one on the journey.  For me, it has no place on the journey.  It only delays and destroys the journey.  What is that one word that struck me today?  complacency.

This quote by A.W. Tozer says: "Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth." 

I would agree.  Complacency doesn't allow growth; it kills it.

In order to assess where you and I are on the growth process, to make sure that we aren't in a complacent place, I found a resource from LifeWay that will be helpful.  It's a 12 page discipleship resource with charts to prayerfully reflect upon where you are and where you're going. Check it out.  Spiritual Growth Assessment Process.  I guarantee you that if you (and I) are willing to spend some intentional time on the assessment process and make plans for our next steps, there will be no complacency taking over our growth.

Blessings on your journey,

Debra