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When our children were small, we took cross-country road trips. We hopped in the van and traveled to some new part of the country. As we drove, small, rectangular signs would appear with the word “mile” followed by a number. These signs, called mile markers, alerted you to the distance covered between two places and also help determine which direction you were traveling. They provided evidence of the progression toward your goal.
Likewise, spiritual growth contains markers that inform you of your progress. But what’s the end destination? What’s the goal of this journey? God answers this for us in Scripture. His desire is for all believers to become like Jesus. That is, He wants believers to always reflect the character of Christ. This is what spiritual maturity means. It is the ability to consistently live life from the perspective of the Spirit rather than the flesh, resulting in a maximized life that brings God glory.
Spiritual growth unfolds in stages much like ordinary human development, moving through infancy, adolescence and adulthood. We do not begin the Christian life fully mature, though God does expect us to become fully mature. Spiritual infancy is marked by dependency. Baby believers need someone to feed them and teach them basic truths and habits in order to grow in their faith. Spiritual adolescence is marked by growing pains. Growth leads to boldness, but boldness can lead to foolishness. Adolescent believers need someone to help them be strong, overcome the devil through the Word of God and handle conflicts in a godly way. Spiritual maturity is marked by consistency. Over time, spiritual maturity can be confirmed when a person consistently responds to life’s circumstances in a Christlike manner.
No matter what stage you are in, there are markers to alert you of the distance covered in your journey. These markers are godly changes in your thoughts, attitudes and actions. They provide evidence of the progression toward spiritual maturity.
What markers in your life can you point to as evidence of your spiritual growth?
Have you enjoyed learning about spiritual growth? If you would like to learn more on this and many other subjects, click here to go to the Tony Evans Training Center.
About this Plan
We expect trees, grass, animals and babies to grow. When they don’t, we know something is wrong. What is true in the natural realm is also true in the spiritual realm. Believers are expected to grow, and when they don’t, something is wrong. In this five-day reading plan, Dr. Tony Evans will introduce you to the process of spiritual growth.
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