GROW UP SPIRITUALLY

By Haley Kelly

A lot of people start coming to church because all of their closest friends go. However, it can become harder to come when slowly but surely your friends start dropping off the radar one by one, making excuses each week as to why they couldn’t make it to Wednesday night service.  Until eventually you’re the only person in your group of friends who is consistently attending church and living out the life God is calling you to. You soon realize you’re the only one of your friends that is still striving to become closer to God and almost every one of them have reverted back to their old ways. Sound familiar?

At the time you may not notice, but looking back you will soon see that the Lord is pruning your branches and ridding you of any distractions from Him. All of the "friends" you thought were always going to be there for you are now doing the very things you chose to turn away from. Reaching a point of ‘spiritual maturity’ is a never ending cycle; there is always growing to do. With that being said, I do honestly think that there is a point in your spiritual journey of maturity when you are able to look at the people around you- old friends, family, and peers in your schools and work places, and say, “I love you, I care for you, but I am not jealous of the life you are leading nor do I need those things to feel like I belong somewhere. In light of that, I hope I can be a positive influence in your life to show you what God can do to a screwed up, messed up, broken person like me.”

Like Paul says in Ephesians 4:14-15, we will reach a point that we as believers will not seek things of this world. We will want to do the things that pull us closer to Him instead of being “immature like children”. As a growing believer, we will not fall into the lies the devil tries to hide in our weaknesses like he does with the people around us, but we will strive to seek God in every little thing we do.

I encourage you to be intentional about realizing your actions in the next week. See how your situation can change in just one week of paying real attention to the things you do, say, and think. MAKE THE CHANGES you know need to be made. Spiritual maturity starts with God’s favor but is ultimately up to the choices you make in every little thing you do. :)

READ EPHESIANS 4:14-15