God wants us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). We never will arrive at fully knowing that grace for He keeps giving us more and more grace (Jn. 1:16; James 4:6). Nor will we ever stop growing in our knowledge of our Lord for the “Son is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). Our finite minds can’t fully comprehend an infinite God. If we could, He would cease to be God for He would be no greater than us. No wonder the Apostle Paul wrote, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me” (Phil. 3:12). Yet, some Christians seem to be stunted in their spiritual growth.
What Might Be Stunting Spiritual Growth
The following list, which is not exhaustive, gives some possible reasons we fail to press on. This post cannot examine each of these reasons so click on the article(s) for help with it.
boredom
- Bored? – Cure for Boredom in the Christian Life
- Need to Change Your Thinking about the Christian Life?
busyness
- Effects of Busyness on the Life of the Church
- Ideas for Getting Busy People to Engage in True Fellowship
- Bible Verses Guiding the Use of Our Time
circumstances of life
- Praising God, Even on a Bad Day
- Let’s Rise Above
- In the Midst of Crisis, Rise Above
- Strength & Courage Needed?
- Possible Joy
- God, Greater Than All That Pertains to You
comparisons
compartmentalizing
conflict with others
- To Rise Above Conflict, Rely on God’s Grace
- To Rise Above Conflict, Remember Who’s the Real Enemy
- To Rise Above Conflict, Follow God’s Word
- Perspective and Power to Rise Above Conflict
discontentment
faulty beliefs
fears
- Replace Fear with Confidence
- God’s Presence: The Defense Against Hindrances
- Secure in the Lord Because of Who He Is
hurts/suffering
impatience
insecurities
lack diligence
legalistic, performance-based approach
lost first love
misaligned priorities
sin, bad habits, unhealthy attitudes
spiritual warfare
- Biblical Principles for Spiritual Battles
- Too Hard to Make It Through Life Without Peace – Part 5 (Spiritual Battles)
stuck in a rut
unrealistic expectations
God Has Provided What We Need to Grow
No matter what the reason may be, the one thing that applies to all is that our God is greater than all that pertains to you. It’s going to take more than good intentions and self-effort to grow spiritually. We need reliance on our Great God who has provided a variety of means to help us grow. Get to Him better in the Our Great God from A to Z Discipleship Tool.
God uses what has been termed “spiritual disciplines” to foster growth. Just as we engage in physical activities to strengthen our muscles, boost our energy level, and improve our overall health, so engaging in certain spiritual activities can do the same for our walk with God. The Getting Spiritually Fit: Engaging in Spiritual Disciplines Discipleship Tool primarily looks at five key activities that will help you become more spiritually fit.
It will, however, take more than routine discipline. Our attitudes, motives, and perspective in it make a big difference. The Sowing Good into Our Lives Discipleship Acrostics looks at traits that need to be sown into our hearts as we engage in various spiritual activities. A walk with God that stems from the heart tends to keep growing.