Personal Growth - Luke 2:52Sample

Jesus grew in favor with God. 

Today’s focus is on spiritual growth. Luke 2:52 tells us that Jesus grew in “favor with God.” Let’s be clear — Jesus is much more than an example of spirituality. He is the Son of God (Matthew 16:16), the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the Word of God (John 1:1, 14), the Savior (Matthew 1:21; John 4:16-17; Acts 4:12), and the Lord of the universe (Luke 2:11; Romans 10:9; Philippians 2:9-11). 

While Jesus is more than our spiritual example, he is never less. He modeled for us the two types of spiritual disciplines: personal (done by yourself) and corporate (done with others).  

Jesus shows us that some spiritual disciplines can be done by yourself. For example, in Mark 1:35, we learn, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Jesus prioritized spending time with God the Father alone. He demonstrated the personal spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, meditation, and solitude. 

Jesus also shows us that other spiritual disciplines are done with others (Hebrews 10:24-25). For example, God’s Word says in Luke 4:16, “as was his custom, [Jesus] went to the synagogue on the Sabbath Day.” The synagogue was a gathering place for worship, Scripture reading, fellowship with other believers, and prayer. 

“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.”  - 1 Timothy 4:7

Theologian Don Whitney encourages believers to follow spiritual practices that are clearly set out in God’s Word: Bible intake (2 Timothy 3:16), Prayer (Matthew 6:9; Colossians 4:2), Worship (John 4:23-24), Evangelism (Matthew 28:19-20), Service (Psalm 100:2), Stewardship (Ephesians 5:15-16), Fasting (Matthew 6:16-17), Silence and Solitude (Matthew 14:23), Journaling (Psalm 77:11-12), and Learning (Proverbs 18:15).

Spiritual growth is the result of practising spiritual disciplines. If we want to experience spiritual growth in our relationship with God, we should consider the personal and corporate spiritual disciplines that we can start today.