How can you tell is someone is growing spiritually? We can’t measure spiritual growth in a CAT scan, or with a blood test. And spiritual growth can’t always be seen in the present moment. Sometimes it takes time to notice the changes. Do you know if you are growing?
Jesus pulled His disciples aside to explain the parable of the soils. Mark includes in his presentation of the Servant of the LORD five other word pictures, two of them are parables to expand his examination of spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is not meant to be mystery and Jesus gave us insight into some of the characteristics of that growth.
Spiritual Growth is meant to be visible, comes proportionally, follows a predictable pattern, is surprisingly powerful and increases in capacity. No matter what positive characteristic a person could possess, if it followed this pattern, you could see it.
So as we go through these illustrations of these characteristics of spiritual growth, I want you to think about areas in your life that you identify as being connected to God’s work in you and ask these questions. Can it be seen? How much am I putting into it? Where am I in the trajectory of growth? Can I sense God’s power at work in it? What is the capacity that has changed for the better?
Part of spiritual growth is making an assessment every once in a while to see if we are in fact growing. Some people chart their children’s physical growth by marking it periodically on the door frame in their house. They mark the date and the name right on the jam. So over the years you can look at the frame and see the heights of the marks progressing as the years have passed. You can chart the growth in height over time.
We have a responsibility to be deliberate about our spiritual growth. If we want to lose weight, we write down our starting weight, step on the scale periodically, and compare. We count calories, exercise, and keep track of it all in order to be deliberate about our progress. Shouldn’t we use the same diligence about our spiritual life?
A Bible reading plan is a good way to start. Be consistent in your devotional time each day. Be consistent in church attendance. Get involved in a small group for accountability. Find an outreach project to which you can commit, and then follow through on the commitment. Decide what you are going to give, and then give it.
Each of these areas are things can could be tracked.
The Arnold Journey 