"Growth Stages"
I was reading something the other day about a person's growth stages
from birth to adulthood. It's not that I learned something new but I was
reminded of just how involved God is in the process. So what about
"spiritual growth"? It's been my experience that we all relate to God on
four basic levels. Recall when you received Jesus Christ as your
personal Lord and Savior. Take a spiritual inventory and discover where you are in your personal spiritual journey.
1st there is the "GIVE ME" stage. Virtually everyone starts here. Like
Jacob we say, "...If God will be with me and watch over me on this
journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so
that I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my
God."
2nd level is the "USE ME" stage. It replaces the give me
stage as our preoccupation with getting has now evolved into an
obsession to be used by God. Now we regularly pray for empowerment, and
we dream of doing great things for the Lord. People here usually have
great zeal but little wisdom and even less love. (Spiritual loneliness
in spite of one frantic involvement.)
As we continue to mature
in faith, we develop a growing desire to be like Christ. This 3rd stage
is the "MAKE ME" phase. It is our desire to be used by God balanced by a
yearning "...to be conformed to the likeness of [God's] Son..."
The 4th and final stage is when our relationship is characterized by
intense love and focuses on spiritual intimacy. "SEARCH ME" With the
psalmist we plead, "Search me, O God, and know my heart..." Nothing is
as important as knowing God and being known by Him.
In truth,
the mature believer incorporates all four dimensions in his or her
relationship with God. They trust God to meet their daily needs w/o
majoring in the kind of demanding prayers that often characterized their
initial relationship. True ministry flows out of who we are in Christ. I
want to know Christ and be known to Him. Identify some ways you can
enhance your spiritual growth.
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