During His ministry on earth, Christ made it clear that believers are not called to be stagnant. He used several parables to illustrate what happens to people who refuse to grow (John 15:2, Matthew 3:10, Matthew 25:14-30). Apostle Paul also admonished believers to “put away childish things”.
But how do you know you are growing? How do you measure spiritual growth? How can you tell that a Christian is indeed growing? While you won’t get any physical change in height or stature, you will experience many signs that reaffirm your growth in Christ. Some of these telltale signs are highlighted below.
- You effortlessly display the fruits of the spirit
A clear sign of spiritual maturity is when believers display the fruit of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22 NKJV). No matter your spiritual gifts or the number of years you have been attending church, these fruits are only displayed when you are indeed growing in Christ. They come by constantly abiding in Christ and His word. As you grow, you begin to notice how effortlessly you demonstrate these characteristics in your day-to-day activities. You can’t fake it.
- You want to share the good news
Another sign of spiritual growth is evangelism. Most people shy away from discussing God. They don’t want their friends to think they are no longer ‘cool’. They sneak out whenever it’s time to go out and share the good news. These are the characters of ‘babies’. Once you experience spiritual growth, you are eager to share this testimony with others. You are sure of your faith and have no fear in spreading it far and wide. In fact, you cannot even contain the joy. It’s like the feeling you get after getting some good news and you just cannot wait to discuss it with your friends.
- You lean on God’s wisdom
Believers who have attained some levels of spiritual growth operate in wisdom greater than the wisdom of men. You can easily tell by the choices they make. Everything about them shows that this person is no longer a ‘baby’. Just as adults operate differently than kids. Instead of playing and watching movies all day, an adult understands the need to go to work, pick up responsibilities, pay bills, tidy the home, and make safe choices. In the same way, a spiritually matured Christian makes better choices.
- You love everything about God
Have you ever seen someone in love? They are happier. They radiate a certain glow that wasn’t there before. Their attention is focused on the person they are in love with. If possible, they want to spend every minute with the person. This is love. You cannot hide it. The same way you cannot hide it when you are in love with God. Yes, we all say we love God. But as you climb up their ladder of spiritual growth, you will begin to see a whole new level of love for God. You just cannot hide it. You start taking interest in everything that God loves. You just want to be with Him at all times.
- You detest everything about sin
As your love for God increases, the desire to sin starts to decrease. It is an inverse relationship. As you start spending time in things that God loves, you find yourself drawing far from sin. You no longer enjoy those pleasures of the world. You begin to detest those sinful activities you once cherished. This is growth.
Conclusion
Believers are called to be God’s representatives on earth. It is not enough to be part of a church, you must display the characters that represent God. This is the true mark of growth.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.