Getting Job-ed
But I, brothers and sisters, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 ESV
Here’s an issue I’m seeing that’s really common in our Christian culture today: Spiritual immaturity. Not to be a Debbie-downer, but the older I get, I see it more and more. Or who knows, maybe it’s the day and time we live? Either way, once we are converted to Christianity, after our heart is regenerated towards Jesus and God, we begin a process of sanctification.
Sanctification
Sanctification is the process by which something becomes holy. Once we are justified by Jesus as righteous in the sight of God, our sin debt is paid, our life’s trajectory is changed. Now we’re on a new path to holiness. But what I’m seeing with many Christians is a chronic rut that they are stuck in. They will make little strides for getting out of it because the same strategies are used, with little success. What is Paul saying in the above Scripture?
Paul is saying that we’re stuck in ruts because we are still being friends to this world and to this life. He’s saying kill that life of sin! Move on! Start eating solid food, not just drinking baby formula! It’s time to grow up spiritually… We are not mere humans, we are sons and daughters of the God of the universe.
This is not necessarily a secret recipe or ‘how to’ in growing and maturing, but I think it’s a great start. Here are some strategies to employ for spiritual growth:
- Start with Scripture. I often hear from people that they don’t have enough time to read Scripture, but yet have time for hobbies and social media posts. I’m not saying those are wrong, but our love for the Word of God has to trump every other activity we do. I heard John Piper say recently that if you have time to eat, you have time to read the Bible- that’s great advice (see source below). Scripture is the weapon that we use to kill sin (Ephesians 6:10-18) and is the very Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). For the most part, we have access to it on our phones 24/7 or there are copies that you can get for a dollar. If you need one, reach out to us. The value that can be taken from Scripture is infinite and can not be put into words. Dig into the hard things you’ve avoided in Scripture. Dig into historical church doctrines and see the richness that has been studied for 2,000. It’s so beneficial, the reward is great!
- Pray always. Scripture says “pray without ceasing” in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV. We are told to be in constant communication with God. We need this because anything and everything is fighting for a place in our minds and hearts that is only meant for God. Good relationships are fostered through communication and this goes with our relationship with God as well.
- Grow in community. We are to be in community together so that we help carry each other through the struggles we face, hold each other accountable, and encourage one another (1 John 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Colossians 3:13, Galatians 6:2). America preaches a completely self-sufficient mindset, we were not created this way.
I hope these can help you in your journey! I want us all to grow up and continuously be growing in Christ until He returns!
-Austin
References
John Piper, “If I Could Start All Over: Six Lessons for Your Twenties,” accessed November 22, 2021,
