Create Conditions for Spiritual Growth  

For some of us, mowing lawns has become almost a full-time job this summer. No, we haven’t become professional landscapers. It’s simply that the weather conditions in our region have been very conducive for the healthy growth of whatever greenery may be adorning our yards. I’m not complaining, especially when we hear about the droughts in many parts of our country and the flooding in other areas. I’m thankful that we’re not having to deal with brown, sun-scorched lawns or having to clean up from damage caused by rising rivers. Instead, we’re experiencing the right combination of warm temperatures and frequent precipitation so as to promote abundant growth in our vegetation. It makes for some extra work, but it’s a good problem to have.

When conditions are favorable, growth tends to happen. The same holds true when it comes to our relationship with the Lord. How would you honestly assess your spiritual growth? Are you in a dry season in which it seems your soul is slowly withering? Or have other things been allowed to flood your life to the point that your walk with God has been drowned out? Or are you experiencing a healthy season in which you’re steadily growing closer to God and can see the fruit of Christlikeness bursting forth in your life in greater ways? Of course, the main factor in growing is that we need to be connected to our only source of spiritual life – Christ Himself. We need to possess the gift of eternal life which He came and sacrificed His life for us to receive. The Bible pictures us as branches connected to Jesus the Vine. We have to be trusting Him as our Savior and have His Spirit living in us in order to be alive spiritually. Where there is no life, there can be no growth.

If we do have life in Christ, how do we cultivate the right conditions for growth? First of all, we need the nutrients and water provided for us in God’s Word. “Desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (I Peter 2:2). We should be spending time reading, studying, and listening to good expositions of the Bible. We ought to receive it, not as man’s word but as God’s Word. We should go beyond hearing and understanding it, but also allowing it to change us. Let God’s Word shed light on you, your soul, and the world around you. Feed on it. Obey it. Let it accomplish God’s purposes in you.

We also need the warmth of fellowship – both with the Lord and with others. Spend time in prayer, not just occasionally but on a regular basis. Look at it not just as a chance to ask God for what you need, but also as an opportunity to simply be in His presence, to worship Him, to praise Him, to thank Him for His blessings. Yes, cry out to God about your concerns and needs, but also listen to Him and enjoy His fellowship. We also need to be around other believers in order to help each other grow in our mutual faith. We’re not meant to exist on our own – we’re part of the Body of Christ.

Finally, we need to keep moving. “Exercise yourself toward godliness” (I Timothy 4:7). Such training not only includes the spiritual disciplines mentioned above, but also serving the Lord in some way. Shortly after that exhortation to exercise, it says, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you” (I Timothy 4:14). Use both the natural talents and the spiritual gifts you’ve been given to minister to others.

Growth doesn’t just happen. We’ve got to pursue the right conditions for it. Try it and see what God does in your life.