(If you are just joining us, hop over and read Part 1 of this mini-series).
Spiritual growth is not something that will happen by “accident.” We have two small kiddos, a kindergarten girl and 18-month-old son and as cheesy as it sounds, they do grow up so fast. Sometimes I feel like they wake up in the morning and their clothes don’t fit anymore because they seem to have grown overnight!
Unfortunately, spiritual growth isn’t necessarily “natural” for us. We have to be so intentional and seek growth every single day, which can be a little bit intimidating. If we aren’t seeking to grow every day, soon we are once again stuck, just now maybe we somewhere with slightly different scenery.
If we are completely honest with ourselves, there are a lot of things in this world that can keep us from focusing on God and seeking spiritual maturity on a daily basis. Work, family, fitness, social media, yes, even church activities! Now, all of these things are GOOD and certainly part of what God has called us to pursue, but they can’t be our EVERYTHING. They can’t be the foundation for spiritual growth. Only Jesus can hold that title.
Corrie Ten Boom said, “If the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy.” Let me say that again: “If the devil can’t make you bad, he will make you busy.” We can have the best intentions of fully focusing on God, getting unstuck, staying unstuck and moving forward, but soon our calendar fills up and our priorities shift. Soon, we find ourselves stationary. Stagnant.
We aren’t alone in this struggle. Members of the ancient church face it as well, and Paul gives us insight as to what we can do, when he wrote his first letter to the church at Corinth: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) We can seek to become more like Christ every single day as we fulfill the role of employee, church member, parent, child, friend.
The key to growing spiritually in all things is to intentionally implement the words we see in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Did you catch that last part? “And all these things will be given to you as well.” If we jump back a few verses, we find the set of scripture that my husband LOVES to quote to me when I get all bent out of shape and stuck in a cycle of worry. Do not worry. Not about food, or clothes or ANYTHING. Focus on God, and He will help you move forward.
When it comes to spiritual growth, God isn’t seeking perfection from us. Just progress. And yes, different seasons of life involve varying levels of spiritual growth. But all seasons, no matter how busy, full, difficult or chaotic, can lend us an opportunity to become more and more like Christ.
I don’t have this all figured out, but I have discovered some things that work for me to fearlessly focus on Him. When it comes to following Jesus, I think I have short-term memory loss. He can do something wonderful, make my mundane into a miraculous moment. One minute I’m feelinga wesome and living free, praising and worshipping God.
Then, what feels like 8 minutes later, I nearly jump back in that spiritual mud and get stuck… Again. I forget what he has brought me through.
So when it comes to fearlessly focusing, I write everything down. Since 2011, I’ve been adding to my 1000 gift list, which is simply an on-going list of God’s “gifts” or blessings to me. As of this morning, I have over 14,453 things on that list now!
As part of my daily quiet time, I journal. Each year, I create large book mark with my annual “God-sized dreams” written on it, which are things He has called me to focus on for the year. I put it in my journal as a page marker, so I see them every single day and can keep my focus when my spiritual short term memory loss flares up. Let’s take the words of Proverbs 4:25 to heart: “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.”
Fearlessly Focus
What is your sense about where/what God is calling you to focus on for this season of life regarding spiritual growth?
(Don’t despair. I know. You need closure. I will wrap up this series this coming Friday. Don’t miss it!)
For Him,
