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Week Five:
Barometer for Spiritual Growth by Faith - Part 1:
“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” Romans 5:3–4 (NKJV).
A barometer is a fascinating instrument to many people. A good barometer enables meteorologists to forecast short term changes in the weather in advance. When the barometer pressure drops it is an indication of rain. Rises in barometer pressure indicate improving weather conditions. From time to time we need to measure our physical maturity. There are tools to measure many things in life. We can check our weight with a scale and our height with a tape measure. Arrested development isn’t an option for followers of Christ. We have a sacred responsibility to mature continuously in our faith, to become more Christlike, to grow more attuned to God’s will. Maintaining a spiritual status quo does no one any good. The Lord urges us to dive deeply into Scripture so that we can become the disciples He intends us to be. We also need a barometer to measure our spiritual maturity. When someone becomes a child of God, making their decision to accept Jesus as their Savior, he or she becomes a new born babe and like a child must grow to maturity. As a child we think and reason like a child. The same thinking and reasoning comes to one who is a new believer in Jesus. He is like a new born child and must grow in his or her knowledge of God. As we grow in our Christian life we should be maturing in our understanding of God and His Word, the Bible. The apostle Paul tells us in his second book to the Corinthians that we are to aim for perfection in the spiritual maturing of our faith. There is no barometer to measure our spiritual maturity. There are, however, three things we can look at in order to take a measurement of our spiritual growth in our new-found faith.
First, what are our desires? Do we look at the pleasures of this world as we did before we accepted Jesus as our Savior? What about our hunger to read and study God’s Word?
Barometer for Spiritual Growth by Faith - Part 2:
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” 1 Timothy 4:12-13 (NKJV).
Secondly, what is our understanding concerning the spiritual things in our life? Do we see life from God's perspective as it is written in the Bible? Do trials and temptations that come our way become opportunities for spiritual growth and service for our Lord or stumbling blocks that trip us up and cause us to backslide into our old way of life?
Finally, what is the status of our selflessness? Are we submissive to the Lord when He speaks to us and do we listen to our conscience when it warns us of what is right and what is wrong? Do we pray and ask for God to show us what He wants us to do? Are we more concerned about others rather than ourselves? Christian maturity requires us too thoughtfully and prayerfully to measure the disciplines of our daily Godly habits. These disciplines should include a time that we increase our knowledge of God by reading the Bible and drawing close to Him by communicating to God through prayer. We can be sure that Satan will test the strength and endurance of our faith in the Lord with trials of many kinds. We don’t really know the depth of our faith until it has been put to the test. As we trust in the Holy Spirit, we can still rejoice because we know that God is in the process of developing us into mature believers. Every time He brings us through a battle, we are left with the assurance that there is nothing beyond His power to overcome.“Blessed is the manWho walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,Nor stands in the path of sinners,Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a treePlanted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season,Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper ” Psalms 1:1-3 (NKJV).
Barometer for Spiritual Growth by Faith - Part 3:
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God ” Colossians 1:9–10 (NKJV).
When we become Christians, we enter into a relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that will cause us to grow. With the power of the Holy Spirit, we are called to become more like Jesus and to become more holy. It is this spiritual growth that becomes a birthmark of our faith! Since our Heavenly Father wants us to mature in the faith, believers should stop periodically and examine your life to see if you’re making progress in emotional, mental, and spiritual life. Physical growth is fairly easy to evaluate, all you need is a tape measure. On the other hand, emotional, mental and spiritual growth happens through personal failures, various trials and learning experiences. Let’s begin by considering how children develop.
Desires: Have you noticed that your childhood toys no longer interest you? The maturing process changes our desires in the spiritual realm, too. When we’re growing, the world’s pleasures lose their appeal, while our hunger for God and His Word increases. We are eager to be with Him and share with others how He’s working in our life.
Understanding: When you were young, your perception of the world was very limited. In the same way, we lack spiritual understanding when we’re new believers. But in time, we begin to see life from God’s perspective. Trials and temptations become opportunities for growth, and service for the Lord becomes an honor instead of a burden.
Selflessness: The most obvious sign of a toddler’s immaturity is his selfishness. He wants his way, and he wants it now, hopefully that is no longer characteristic of you. A mature believer is submissive to the Lord, willing to wait, and more concerned about others than himself. How are you doing in these three areas of growth? Maybe it’s time to let go of a few childish ways in order to grow into a mature believer. The greatest evidence of maturity is love. When the Lord and other people have first place in our heart, it’s then that we’re most like Jesus. As we mature in Christ, so does our faith and confidence that God will answer our prayers. The Lord wants us to pray big; there is nothing we can ask that will be too much for Him to accomplish. Believers shouldn’t just rooting for your spiritual growth, but also drawing strength from it. You’re eyewitnesses to the Lord’s maturing work in you. You’re finding new reasons to praise and glorify God because of you. James says that the testing of our faith develops endurance and makes us mature and complete. We need mature faith to endure the trials and temptations that come our way. As we mature in our faith, spiritual warfare will become more intense. Those who are struggling may take hope and inspiration from your spiritual growth. The final takeaway, then, is that your spiritual growth is important for reasons that extend far beyond yourself.