When we talk about growth, it suggests an end, a level of accomplishment, a point of fruitfulness etc. When we say an organisation is growing for example, it could suggests they have moved from a start up face to a point where they can do more in business volume, revenue etc.
For us as individuals, we grow physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally etc such that at certain stages of growth it is an abnormality for us to act in some ways as it doesn’t befit that stage of our life.
There is a type of growth that underlies every other type of growth we may have to experience in life. It is our spiritual growth.
We need to first establish the endpoint of our spiritual growth before we can talk about the steps to grow.
We know that God’s desire for us is that we might be like Christ in this world as indicated in the scripture.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
John 17:3 KJV
1 John 4:8 KJV sheds light on what it means to know God;
“He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
knowing God means to love like God.
Now that we know that knowing God through Jesus Christ is the end point and that what it means to know God is to love and the nature of God is love, what then are the steps to attaining to this love?
It is easier said to say we love but it’s not just by mouth. It’s a journey to get to that point and this is shown in 2 Peter 1: 1-11.
The successive steps to love identified here are;
- Faith
- Virtue
- Knowledge
- Temperance
- Patience
- Godliness
- Brotherly kindness
- Love
The starting point of the journey is faith in God, and we build on this by adding the others until we get to a point where it’s easier to demonstrate love. If any of these elements is missing, there will be stunted growth.
A study on each of these elements shows that it takes time and help from above to build. For example, there is no patience where there is no suffering. To be able to add patience to temperance therefore, we must be willing to bear pains. Same for others. Virtue is an attribute of God, we cannot develop it without God.
If we follow this growth process dutifully, we are sure to be truly like Christ in everything we do.
God bless you.
Akindele Afolabi
Christian Employee Series