Grow in Grace

Next month I will have been the pastor of the church for 36 years and recently a member gave me something I had written to the members having been pastor for 5 months. It was about how we should as believers in Christ be seeking to spiritually grow and was as follows -

It's good to ask yourself from time to time, how much have I spiritually grown? It isn't answered by comparing yourself with other believers and feeling you are spiritually doing better than them, that doesn't tell you whether you have grown or not. You may think you have made spiritual progress because you are now doing more in the service of the Lord but that isn't necessarily a sign of growth in grace. Sometimes we ease our conscience in failing to grow more like Christ by more activity in the service of the Lord.

The best way to examine if you have spiritually grown is in the light of God's word see whether you are more like Christ. Spiritually we are not to remain like babes or little children in Christ.

A little child is often undiscerning and if we are taken in by every new doctrine or idea it may mean we haven't spiritually grown much.
A little child will often seek to draw attention to themselves and be the centre of things. The Christian who seeks to draw attention to themselves and what they have done for Christ, hasn't grown very much.
A little child often loves the outwardly spectacular, but the more solid requiring mental discipline doesn't appeal to them. Similarly, the Christian taken up with personality and the outwardly spectacular and not the solid truth of God's word hasn't grown much.

Real spiritual growth results in a greater sense of your sinfulness and unworthiness, joined with a greater love for and likeness to Christ.

"More fit for the kingdom, more used would I be;
More blessed and holy, more, Saviour, like Thee."