Spiritual growth is something so substantial to everyone of us.  We are all on different journeys.  Some seeking a closer faith with God, so stay complacent, and some just fall back or go with the flow.  In my men’s ministry study last night, the thought of satisfaction with where I am spiritually came about.  I wish I could remember the exact things said, but it got me really pondering my own spiritual growth.  I have been on quite a ride these past many months, spiritually, and the thought of where God will continue to lead me is so exciting.

I want you to think of your spiritual growth.  Are you satisfied with where you are?  Are you complacent, thinking you drawn closely to the Father or your a good servant or tither.  You read the Bible daily and so many other things.  All great things.  But if you really stop to think about it, do we ever reach full happiness and completeness spiritually in this world.  The answer to this, from what I can tell is, no.

Think about it.  Because of the works of Christ, His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, we are given a freedom that had been lost to a world of religion, performance, and evil.  We were justified by the works of Christ to now walk in freedom and to seek and be restored to the Father through Jesus.

Nowadays, so many are completely complacent with where they are spiritually.  They see themselves and regular church attenders, they take part in activities, serve in various roles, but on the inside, they still fall short of the Father on many levels.  Sound familiar?  That’s because this is every single one of us.  In this world, because of our fallen nature we are still well short of the glory we were created in by God.  We are restored and made new in Christ, but we are still fallen, while we still walk here and until Christ’s return or we step in eternity ourselves.

So again, are you fully satisfied with your spiritual growth? Are you satisfied with where you are now and standing still?  I know I’m not.  My ultimate goal is complete restoration to the Father through Christ.  I will not see that in this world, but I can continue growing each day to draw nearer and nearer until I reach glorification in Heaven.

I here people all the time talk about just being happy.  Happy with life, content with their circumstances, and just get along.  They want to be happy.  The problem is that ultimate happiness will not come in this life.  There will always be something else to bring you down or spiritual forces pulling you back.  You have to check where you are and your motives in life to see where you stand spiritually.

I am loving this book I am reading through, “Effective Biblical Counseling,” by Larry Crabb.  I believe I mentioned it in a previous post, but I am learning a great deal about what it will mean to be a Biblical Counselor in my future.  But Larry shares, in chapter 1, and important point about spiritual maturity.  He says it involves 2 elements; 1) immediate obedience in specific situations and 2) long-range character growth.  This is essential  We cannot be satisfied with simple obedience and performance now.  We have to grow continuously.  Larry later shares that, until the time of glorification, in Heaven, “God is in the process of sanctifying me, of purifying me, of slowing helping me to become more of what He already declared me to be. He has granted me the position of acceptability. No He instructs me to grow up in my position, to behave more and more acceptably.”

We can’t be satisfied where we stand.  God desires each of us to continue to grow in Him and to Him until the time we are finally fully restored and glorified in Him.  Don’t be complacent.  Don’t compromise your faith and your spiritual growth thinking you good to go.  We must always work on growing.  I will continue to grow and I take delight in everything new I learn. It’s a process that will last a lifetime, but I know God is using that to continue working on my heart and sanctifying me through Christ.