Tag Archives: spiritual growth

September 18, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Getting Rid Of Things

I’ve spent year teaching people about personal and spiritual growth. I’ve found that our human nature wants change, but doesn’t want to change in order to achieve it. We want to de clutter our lives, but we don’t want to get rid of anything. What holds most of us back in our growth is our inability to let go of things, people habits and comforts that are holding us back. They may have a helped us in the past to get where we are, but they’re dead weight when it comes to getting us where we need to go. The people who experience growth in their lives are the ones who are able to lay things down that hold them back. I’m guilty of this myself. There’s a fear in letting go partly because what we’re holding onto is comfortable and partly because we’re afraid of the unknown. If we’re going to walk by faith, we have to be willing to let go of things.

When Jesus called Peter, James and John to follow Him, they had to lay down their nets. Those nets were their source of income and represented a lifetime of learning the skill of fishing. When David defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone, the Bible says he picked up Goliath’s sword. We don’t read of him conquering nations with a sling. He did it with what he picked up. Gideon was found by an a age as he was hiding from his enemy. In order to lead the nation, he had to lay down his insecurities and embrace the mighty warrior within himself. Moses had to lay down his fear in order to set God’s people free. He faced his past, trusted in God and stood before Pharaoh. The list goes on.

Hebrews 12:1 says, “As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us” (GNT). What do you need to get rid of that is weigh in you down and holding you back? God had more for you, but you need to lay some things down in order to receive it. Getting rid of things isn’t easy, but it is necessary. Ask the Holy Spirit to identify things, habits, people and comforts in your life that are keeping you from all He had for you. Then ask for the strength, faith and courage to let go. There is freedom in getting rid of things.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.

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September 11, 2024 · 5:58 AM

Return To The Basics

I met with a person who was going through one life changing event after another and they were beginning to overlap. As they talked I began to express empathy for their struggles knowing full well the thoughts and feelings they were going through. After sharing everything, they looked me straight in the eye and asked, “What are some practical things I need to be doing to climb out of this hole.” My mind immediately remembered a quote from Zig Ziglar that says, “If you take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves.” I asked about their spiritual disciplines and encouraged them to get their spiritual house in order first. A week after committing to be consistent with their spiritual disciplines, they called and began to share some of the changes they had seen and some blessings they had received. Returning to the basics created changes in their life and gave God margin to move in their life.

In the book of Ruth, Naomi and her family went through one life altering event after another. Famine chased them from their home and into a foreign land. Her husband died and then so did both of her sons. She knew she needed to get back to where God’s blessing was so she asked her daughters in law to stay. One, Ruth, decided to go with her. The people were excited to see her, but she asked them to call her “Bitter” because of how my life has been going. However, once she got back, it was harvest time and God began to care for them and even open doors for a lifetime of blessings. Ruth found her way into the field of Boaz who would later redeem her, marry her and give Naomi a grandchild. God’s blessings returned once she returned.

In Revelation 2, Jesus is addressing the Church at Ephesus. He recognized that they were going through a hard time. Then in verse 4-5 He said, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first” (ESV). Jesus was calling them back to their first love and to do the basic disciplines they did at first. We can all get busy and distracted doing things for Jesus. We can also let life throw us out of our rhythm of serving Him because we’re just trying to keep our head above water, yet He calls us to return to spiritual disciplines. I’ve found that I’ve had to move things in my schedule, break away from certain relationships and create margin in my schedule in order to return to the basics. Once I did, I opened the door to God’s blessings and my love for Him was renewed. What are the basics He’s calling you to return to?

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August 19, 2024 · 5:42 AM

Breaking Habituation

Not long after i moved to Egypt, someone gave me the best advice. They told me to take as many pictures of things that surprised me because in a few weeks, I would grow accustomed to them. I didn’t believe them honestly, but I followed their advice. I took pictures of boats sailing on the Nile, bedouins bring their goats into the neighborhood to eat our grass and more. In psychology, habituation is the term used to describe that situation. It’s where we grow accustomed to our surroundings or situations to the point it no longer bothers us. Examples are when you see someone up north walking around in shorts in cold weather, someone tuning out noisy neighbors or even a hoarder getting used to their living conditions. After a while, the brain stops responding to the surroundings that we’re once shocking, creating a new normal.

You can see it in the book of Nehemiah. When Nehemiah asked his brother how things were going for those who returned to Jerusalem, he was told that the city walls remained broken down and that the gates were burned. Nehemiah wept for those living there and was then sent by the king to make repairs. When he arrived, he didn’t tell anyone what was on his heart. He again was moved by their situation. I’m sure he was shocked that it didn’t bother them. They had rebuilt the Temple and then began to get into the habit of living without protection. In those times it was disgraceful to live in a city without walls. I’m sure it bothered them at first, but they lacked the energy to rebuild them after they rebuilt the Temple. They became habituated to their living conditions until Nehemiah showed up and changed their perspective.

Nehemiah 2:17 says, “But now I said to them, ‘See what trouble we are in because Jerusalem is in ruins and its gates are destroyed! Let’s rebuild the city walls and put an end to our disgrace’” (GNT). In that moment their eyes were opened to their condition. They rallied around Nehemiah’s vision and rebuilt the walls. Their condition is no less different than the one many of us are living in. We’ve grown accustomed to sin in our life, the culture around us or the condition of our heart. God wants to open our eyes and reenergize us to repairing the breeches we’ve grown accustomed to. He wants to break the effects of habituation that have stagnated our growth and relationship with Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where your walls are broken down and to reignite your love for the Lord. God is ready to take you into a new season, but you have to be ready to break out of the habituation of the one you’re in.

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July 23, 2024 · 5:32 AM

The Pruning Process

One of my favorite summer snacks is grapes. I always look for bags with the biggest, crunchiest grapes in them. It turns out that the size and amount of grapes per cluster has a lot to do with how their caretaker pruned the vine. Pruning the vine Allows the plant to receive more sun light which is necessary for their growth and production. If they don’t prune them, the chutes will grow wild, take up necessary energy and prevent the sunlight from getting to where it’s needed. Unless they cut these back, their growth will be inhibited .It turns out that the secret to getting the most plentiful harvest is pruning. It’s the same with us.

Peter was a follower of Jesus and one of His most prominent disciples. He was the on,y one to volunteer to get out of the boat in the middle of the storm. He was also the one to speak up and declare that Jesus was the Messiah. There was still room for growth though and there were times when he needed to be pruned. He openly rebuked Jesus for saying He was going to die. He denied knowingly Jesus and even went back to his old life of fishing. Each time Jesus patiently pruned him and brought him back into the fold. Jesus even prayed that Peter would return and strengthen his brothers. He understood Peter had to go through the pruning process to build the strength in him to be the head of the early church. He had to cut back the things that were holding Peter back, and He’ll do the same for us.

John 15:1-2 says, “I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener. He breaks off every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit” (GNT). It’s important to know that pruning is not punishment. It’s a necessary part of the growing process. It’s a way that God let’s more light into our life so we can produce a greater harvest of the Fruits of the Spirit. It is painful for us to go through, but He know which branches in our lives need to stay and which to cut. Everything He does is for your good and for your benefit. Don’t reject the pruning process. It means He sees great potential in you and is working in your life to propel you forward.

Photo by Jesse Belleque on Unsplash

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April 23, 2024 · 5:41 AM

Growth And Change

Have you ever thought about getting better in an area of your life that you wanted to improve in? Most of us have. We want to see growth in our relationship with God, a better position in our company or to learn a new skill. There’s something in us that isn’t satisfied with where we are and it drives us to grow. What we resist is change though. We don’t like the uncertainty, the the different schedule, the loss of control or the uncomfortableness that it brings. However, you can’t have one without the other. Anytime you grow, there is going to be change. Anytime there is change, it forces you to grow. Sometimes we seek growth or change, and other times it it pushed on us by our circumstances.

Think of Joseph who was a teenager when his dad gave him a colorful coat and God gave him a dream. His brothers brought change into his life by selling him as a slave. Being thrown into another culture, falsely accused and forgotten in prison brought change and growth into his life. God used that time to help him become the person who could save his family and the nation. While he had change thrust on him, Peter, I believe sought to grow after Jesus restored him. He didn’t want to be the person who denied his savior anymore. He made changes in his thinking and actions that caused him to become the leader of the Early Church. The guy who was quick to pull out his sword became one who stood before thousands proclaiming his faith boldly. Growth made that possible.

God desires growth and change in all of us. Ezekiel 36:26 says, “I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone and give you an obedient heart” (GNT). Have you been resisting the growth and change in your life that He wants? A new heart and a new mind are what He offers us to help us become more like Him. Salvation brings about new life for us. Discipleship brings about change in how we live and think. God is calling you to another level of intimacy with Him. He’s stretching you to grow you so He can put you in a new place. Don’t resist the growth and change He has for your life. Embrace it. You can’t fulfill your calling and purpose without these two things constantly happening in your life.

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March 6, 2024 · 5:45 AM

The Foundation Of Cooperation

Trust is the strength of any relationship. Think of any relationship you have. It’s only as good as your ability to trust that person. Trust in a relationship is the belief that they can be relied on to do what they say, and it’s the foundation for cooperation. Without it, you don’t have much of a relationship. Some of us go into any relationship trusting the other party and for some of us, trust must be earned. The more we trust them, the more we can accomplish together. This doesn’t just apply to people. Think about your relationship with God. It’s only as strong as your ability to trust Him to guide your life. The more you trust Him, the more input and control He has in your life. The less you trust Him, the more you make the decisions and view Him as just a consultant or advice giver.

In Genesis 22:1-19, we read the story of Abraham. He trusted God to give him a son in his old age and God did it. When Isaac became a young man, God spoke to Abraham and asked him to sacrifice his only son. Abraham didn’t question God to save Isaac or to give him another son even though he was now around 120 years old. He took Isaac on the journey carrying the wood and the fire and climbed the mountain. He built the altar and bound up his son. Abraham had learned to trust God over the years. As Isaac questioned his father, Abraham simply replied that God would provide another sacrifice. It wasn’t until the knife was raised to kill his on,y son that God intervened. God knew he could trust Abraham and Abraham knew he could trust God. Because of that trust, he became the father of many nations and the spiritual father to billions.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding” (AMP). How deep is your trust in the Lord? How confident is your reliance on Him? If He asked you to sacrifice your most prized possession would you do it even if you didn’t understand? Don’t answer too quickly here. Take an honest evaluation. That last part is the hardest. You see God almost always asks for trust without our understanding. We will obey what He asks up to the level of our trust regardless of our understanding. If you want a deeper relationship with God, you’re going to have to learn to trust Him more. You’re going to have to do things that may not make sense to you or anyone else. Remember trust is the foundation for cooperation.

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February 22, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Leaving Survival Mode

One of the activities I love doing is camping. When I was younger I was taught bushcraft and how to do a survival camping trip. They dropped us off in unfamiliar territory, only let us carry what we could fit into a bandaid box, soaked the bandaid box in water, then left us. We had to find shelter, build a fire, hunt for food and sleep on the ground. We had no help or provisions. It was a rough weekend that I’ll never forget.

Compare that to how I like to camp. I enjoy taking my tent, a queen size air mattress, a cooler full of food, lanterns, chairs, pots and pans, cooking utensils, plates and lots of comforts. It’s still outside and in the woods, but I have everything I need for a great weekend. I even have transportation and a phone if something were to happen. This form of camping is a lot more enjoyable because of what’s available to me.

Many of us live our faith as if we were on a survival camping trip. We feel like we’ve been abandoned, we don’t have anything, we are in unfamiliar territory and we’re left to fend for ourselves. I’ve spoken to so many Christians who feel this way, and think it’s normal. Let me tell you it’s not. God has not abandoned you and left you alone on this journey. He doesn’t leave us to survive on our own. Instead, He has given you everything to have the other style camping trip.

2 Peter 1:3 says, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” (NLT) God has already packed the car for you. It’s a matter of us unpacking it and utilizing what He’s given us. You have special giftings, the Bible, the Holy Spirit living in you, direct communication with God and so much more. We as believers need to start utilizing the things God has made available to us, and get out of survival mode. That’s the life God has called you to.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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February 12, 2024 · 5:38 AM

Stewarding The Seed

Seeds are fascinating to me. They can lie dormant for the longest time waiting for the right conditions in order to activate. The first thing they need is water. The water causes a seed to expand and release enzymes. Those enzymes cause the seed to ramp up metabolic energy and release food storage that’s built into it. Then a tap root breaks out of one end and starts heading down. On the other end a stem comes out heading upwards. Once it reaches the surface, two leaves form and photosynthesis begins. Depending on moisture and oxygen levels in the soil and sunlight, the seed takes on life and becomes what it was designed to be.

A seed was planted in Terah, Abraham’s father, to go to the land of Canaan. When his father died, he gather his sons and their families to head to Canaan. Genesis 11:31 says that while on their way, they stopped in Haran and settled there. In the next chapter, the word of the Lord co,es to Abraham and tells him to leave where his father stopped and continue the journey to Canaan. God then planted another seed in Abraham. He told him in the new land he would become the father of many nations and would bless him. The seeds in him began to sprout so he packed up everything and left his father. When he arrived, the Lord planted another seed in him telling him that He would give him all that land to his descendants.

In Isaiah 30:21, the Lord tells Israel that he will respond and guide us telling us which way we should go. Verse 23 says, “Then the Lord will bless you with rain at planting time. There will be wonderful harvests and plenty of pastureland for your livestock” (NLT). I know that God has already planted seeds in you. They may be lying dormant right now waiting for the watering of the Lord. It will come when the time is right. The seed will grow, send down roots and sending a shoot up. Though it’s been dormant for a while, it is not dead. God will bring it to pass. You may have to get into a place, like Abraham did, where it can grow. You may have to get in the right environment so it can thrive. Seek God on what you need to be doing in the meantime to steward that seed and prepare it for growth. God will bring about a harvest to every seed He’s planted in you.

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January 31, 2024 · 5:36 AM

Leaving Crisis Mode

Stephen Covey says we typically spend our time in one of four quadrants, and the amount of time we spend in each matters to our growth and productivity. Quadrant 1 is where most people live. It’s urgent and important things. The problem with quadrant one is that we’re on a treadmill not going anywhere really. We’re just constantly putting out fires. Quadrant two is not urgent but important. Here is where we focus on the future, relationships and planning. Being in this quadrant brings growth, control and balance. The other two quadrants are urgent and not important (quadrant three) and not urgent and not important. These aren’t connected to your big picture goals and prevent you from doing what really matters. The more time we spend in quadrant two, the more fulfilled our life will be is his point.

David was a man living in crisis before he became king. Saul was constantly hunting him to kill him. He spent a lot of his time in the wilderness of the Negev. It’s a very dry climate there where there isn’t much water and the biggest body of water is undrinkable (Dead Sea). David could have spent all his time during this season in quadrant one handling all the urgent and important work of trying to find water, food, shelter and safety. He had to do those things, but David took time to live in quadrant two in the middle of all that. He focused on the future and on the One who could rescue him. He grew his relationship with God in the difficult times. He knew he didn’t just need a series of temporary solutions. He needed to know the One who could solve his problems and fulfill the anointing on his life. During this time, he wrote Psalm 63.

Psalm 63:1 says, ”O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water“ (NLT). Where do you spend your time when things aren’t going according to plan in your life? Do you jump on the treadmill in quadrant one or do you build your relationship with God who is more than able to help? Do you search for Him in your wilderness or for the solutions by yourself? If you find yourself spending all your time in response and survival mode, it will be hard to break free from the cycle. While you still have to spend time on those things because they’re urgent and important, make time to search for God, to seek His face and to study His Word. He is the One who gives peace, deliverance and wisdom. When we draw close to Him, He draws close to us.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

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December 29, 2023 · 6:30 AM

Stop. Start. Continue.

At the end of a long class, I like to debrief by asking the participants to reflect on what they’ve learned. I then ask them to think about things they need to stop doing, things they need to start doing and things they need to continue doing. At the end of the year, it’s a great way to think about how you want to head into the new year. As a disciple of Christ, it’s something we should do as well if we want to mature in our faith. There are many things that the Bible tell us we should stop, start and continue as we live for Him. Think about what you will change in the new year. If you don’t stop or start new things, you can’t expect to grow.

Here are some Bible verses on things we all should stop doing.

1. Since a great price was paid for your redemption, stop having the mind-set of a slave.

1 Corinthians 7:23 TPT

2. So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.

Hebrews 6:1 NLT

3. Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.

1 Corinthians 15:34 NLT

4. “Stop fighting,” he says, “and know that I am God, supreme among the nations, supreme over the world.”

Psalm 46:10 GNT

5. So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

Romans 14:13 NLT

Photo by Cynthia Magana on Unsplash

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