Spiritual Growth BasicsSample

Spiritual Growth Demands Relationship

As you know, a baby is dependent on other people for the nourishment needed for proper growth. This demands a relationship that begins even before birth as an unborn child draws nourishment from the mother through the umbilical cord. In this case, the importance of that relationship is clear because the baby is feeding off of the mother, whose life is supplying life to the child. If that relationship is disrupted, the baby is in serious trouble.

A child in the womb is not studying a book, listening to a teacher, or following a program. He or she is simply piggybacking off of a life that is, ideally, already mature and strong. As long as the umbilical cord isn’t cut or blocked—as long as the baby stays in right relationship with the mother—growth will continue to occur.

The spiritual application of this physical truth is, of course, the importance of our relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s interesting that Jesus did not say, “I have come to give you My program,” but rather, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). So if we are not growing as we should, even though Jesus came to give us not just life but abundant life, then maybe it’s because we have chosen to focus on the program rather than the Person. Spiritual growth is progressively learning to let Christ live His life through us, and that only happens through a relationship with Him.