Today's Christians tend to make church attendance, Bible reading, and prayer the indicators of spiritual growth. While these are necessary for anyone to grow spiritually, Christians must truly do more to succeed in the Lord. For example, perhaps you've read the Bible many times, but have you ever studied it? You may pray every day, but would you ever take time to listen to the Lord? These are also necessary elements not only to help you move to the next level in your spiritual growth, but also to deepen your intimacy with God. Here are some ways to improve your spiritual growth:
Try New Spiritual Disciplines
Every character in the Bible practiced spiritual disciplines to draw closer to the Lord. For example, Daniel fasted regularly. Paul asked Timothy to bring him his scrolls, so he could write down all that he was learning. The prophet Elijah went up to a mountain top and spent time in silence and solitude. In the business of our everyday lives, these types of disciplines are often ignored. Silence and solitude are rarities in many Christian spiritual lives.
Even if you've never practiced these types of disciplines before, it's never too late to start. As we begin a new year, this is a great time to incorporate new spiritual practices into your life. If you'd like to practice silence and solitude, set a timer on your phone for ten minutes. Get to a quiet place in your home or out in nature. Spend time simply listening to your breathing. Take a blank journal and write down anything that comes to your mind that might be distracting you from hearing from God.
At the end of the ten minutes, reflect on what you heard. Did God powerfully speak to you? As with anything in life, there will be times when God will speak mightily, and times when he will not. The objective of sitting in silence and solitude is not to get God to do something for you. Instead, it is for you to get closer to God. God wants our presence. He doesn't need anything else from us besides our fellowship. He desires to commune with us, and he wants us to do the same.
Memorize 52 Scriptures
Scripture memorization is another great spiritual discipline. However, many people don't take the time to memorize the Scriptures. Memorizing one Scripture a week not only keeps your mind sharp but also keeps you anchored to the word of God. Choose 52 verses that are your favorite. Write them on note cards and strive to memorize one a week. Set aside 10 minutes a day to learn that Scripture. Take the note card with you; carry it in your pocket or purse. Check it out whenever you have a spare few minutes.
Try memorizing it on your lunch break, at the end of the day, or in the morning during your quiet time. Use this as part of your offering to the Lord. If you often take time out of your day to spend time with God, use part of it to memorize Scripture. At the end of the year, reflect on all that you learned. Did you find that you recalled those Scriptures more often because you chose to memorize them? When you set your mind to things of God, God will honor you.
People need truth more than ever before. The more Scriptures we can recall quickly, the more people will be drawn to us. Even those who reject the validity of Scripture or say it is irrelevant or outdated will be drawn to knowing more about the Scriptures and why you know them the way you do.
Study the Word
In this technologically advanced age, there's no excuse for anyone not to have the resources to study the Bible. Grab a cheap commentary set and start learning the word. This means taking a passage of Scripture and examining what commentaries have to say about its meaning. Additionally, you can also look up the Greek words used in those passages. This will help you better understand the true meaning of the Scripture. With so much false information circulating and the proliferation of AI, it will be easy to believe untrue things about doctrine.
However, God anointed certain scholars to study the words so that we could better understand their meaning. Take the time to read what they have to say. Digest it by ruminating on it throughout the week. At the end of three months, reflect on how much you've studied. Were there passages of Scripture that you thought had one meaning, yet when you learned them, you found that they had quite another? This is the beauty of Scripture. Scripture can not only have significant meaning for our lives but also can transform them if we understand and apply its meaning.
Be the Example
The most important thing you can do to increase your spiritual growth is to live out what you believe. It is one thing to read the Scriptures, pray, and post spiritual Bible verses on your social media. It is quite another to live out what the Bible says. If you have difficulty doing this, start by choosing a woman of the Bible that you admire. What are some of the qualities that she emulates that you would like to have in your life? Would you like to be bold like Esther? Would you like to take significant risks of faith like Ruth?
Let's start by analyzing your thought life. How many thoughts do you have that are negative or do not align with Scripture? If you have trouble focusing, take a blank journal and write down your thoughts throughout the day. Write down anything negative in the book. At the end of the day, reflect on what you wrote. Were you appalled to see what you were thinking? Thoughts that go unchecked are transferred to the heart. Soon, your mind is wired to complain and become angry all the time. However, the word of God gives hope to our hearts and minds. With it, we can be transformed by renewing our minds and, in so doing, change our hearts as well.
Love Others
This year, adjust your perspective on what it means to love others. Limit the number of social media and media that you consume. The media's job is to spin information in a negative light so that we can become angry and scared as a nation. However, it doesn't have to be that way. We know that through Scripture, God is our only hope. Turn off the television and turn on the Word of God.
If, after consuming a lot of media, you find yourself getting angry or apathetic toward the world, it’s time to learn to love others better. To truly love others means to strike a healthy balance between speaking the truth and being gracious and merciful. Ask the Lord to give you discernment regarding when it is appropriate to do both. The more you rely on God, the more you will find that you will see people through his eyes. This will give you true insight into how to love others.
Christians are responsible for their spiritual growth. It is not something to limit to just a few minutes a day. Instead, it should be a lifestyle. By incorporating the above suggestions, you'll have grown in leaps and bounds by the end of this coming year.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Kelly Sikkema
