Weekly Devotional: Understanding Spiritual Growth

“Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” — 2 Peter 3:17-18, NIV

If you have ever tried to keep a plant or garden alive, you have probably noticed the time and energy it takes to help the plants grow. However, as the plant thrives and blooms all the hard work put into nurturing it pays off.

2 Peter 3 tells us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” This is not referring to physical growth like you might see from a plant. Rather, this passage is referring to spiritual growth and growing closer to God.

What Is Spiritual Growth?

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 1:3-6, NIV

You may be wondering, “what is spiritual growth?” Spiritual growth involves learning more about and leaning into God. We all start somewhere when we become Christians. At the start of our journeys, some of us may be more familiar with God’s word while others may be completely new to the concept of salvation.

Spiritual growth can be reflected through our actions. We can ask ourselves, are we living more for God and less for ourselves? Have our thoughts and actions toward others and God shifted or have they remained the same since the start of our relationship with Christ? How can we get to know God and His word more?

Growing Spiritually

“‘‘If you can said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” — Mark 9:23-24, NIV

So, how do we grow spiritually? Mark 9 tells about a man who came to Jesus to ask him to heal his son who was possessed with an impure spirit. The father of the boy asks Jesus to do anything if he can. Jesus responds by saying that “everything is possible for one who believes.” The man responds by asking for help in overcoming his unbelief.

When we want to grow spiritually, we can start by asking Jesus for help, just like the man in Mark 9 did. He will honor our request and efforts to grow closer to him.

Some other ways we can promote spiritual growth include:

• Connecting with other Christians
• Studying the Bible
• Forming prayer habits
• Showing love to others
• Obeying the Word of God

Are you interested in joining a community dedicated to your educational, spiritual and personal growth? Grand Canyon University offers a wide variety of degree programs that can be taken on campus or online. To learn more about GCU or the College of Theology click on the Request Info button on your screen.