> Spiritual growth is the lifelong journey of becoming more like Jesus Christ. It’s more than just increased knowledge or church attendance—it’s about a deeper relationship with God, transformation of our character, and bearing fruit that brings glory to Him. As Christians, we are encouraged to continually examine our hearts, recognizing both our strengths and the areas in which we need to grow. By doing so, we can partner with the Holy Spirit in the process of sanctification, trusting that God desires our maturity even more than we do.
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The 3 Major Categories of Spiritual Growth
1. Relationship with God
Everything begins with our personal relationship with the Lord. Genuine spiritual growth flourishes when we intentionally draw near to God through regular prayer, Bible reading, worship, and obedience. The depth of our faith is seen in our trust during life’s storms and our heartfelt desire to honor His commands.
- Intimacy with God: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)
- Trust and Faith: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
- Obedience to God: “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)
2. Transformation of Character
God’s goal is not just to forgive us, but to transform us into the image of His Son. This transformation is seen in the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit—qualities like love, joy, peace, and patience. The journey includes learning humility, remaining teachable, and persevering through trials, all of which shape us to reflect Christ’s character to the world.
- Christ-likeness: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 8:29)
- Fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
- Humility and Teachability: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
- Perseverance in Trials: “Count it all joy…when you meet trials…that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
3. Fruitfulness in Life and Ministry
As our relationship with God deepens and our character is transformed, true spiritual growth will overflow into fruitfulness in our relationships, service, and influence. We demonstrate Christ’s love through acts of kindness, share the hope of the gospel, practice generous stewardship, and actively foster unity among believers.
- Love for Others: “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another…By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)
- Witness and Evangelism: “You will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8)
- Generosity and Stewardship: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others…” (1 Peter 4:10)
- Unity and Fellowship: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)
Examining Ourselves: The Path to Spiritual Maturity
As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith…” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Regular, honest self-examination helps us identify which areas of our spiritual life are flourishing and which need renewed attention and growth. Recognizing weaknesses isn’t cause for shame—but an invitation to grow, knowing the Spirit is at work within us.
Take the Self-Assessment
Looking for a practical way to examine your spiritual strengths and growth areas?
Take our Spiritual Growth Self-Assessment (link to questionnaire)
This tool will help you:
- Evaluate each characteristic of spiritual growth with specific questions.
- Receive a score for every area to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses.
- Reflect on targeted questions and use the provided scoring guide to develop an intentional plan for growth.
Reflect, Apply, and Grow
After completing your assessment, spend time in prayerful reflection.
Ask yourself:
- Where am I seeing the most spiritual growth right now?
- What is one area the Lord is prompting me to work on?
- What practical steps can I take—accountability, study, service—to develop the characteristics of Christlikeness?
- Who might support or mentor me in my journey?
Closing Encouragement
Take heart—spiritual growth, or sanctification, is God’s will for you, and He has promised to complete the good work He began (Philippians 1:6). You’re not walking this journey alone: “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13).
Seek Him daily, expect His help, and trust that as you pursue Him, He is transforming you from the inside out.
Keep growing—He is faithful!
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