Keep growing closer to God
We singles have to keep growing to maintain our enthusiasm for life.
"Becoming like Christ is a long, slow process of growth," says pastor and author Rick Warren.
Spirituality requires growth. If you want to get closer to Jesus--the most exciting pursuit in life, by the way--you have to make an effort. Reading the Bible regularly brings us in direct contact with God.
The Bible is a fascinating book if you give it a chance. It reveals the true God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus shows us the character of the Father. When you know Jesus and begin to imitate him, you can't help becoming a better person.
It's more of an accomplishment to become a Christlike person than it is to become a billionaire.
Most of us will never become millionaires, let alone billionaires, but every Christian is capable of growing more like Jesus because we have the Holy Spirit inside to direct us.
God the Father desires this for you. His plan is called sanctification, and nobody can do it on their own. The good news is that the Spirit will provide all the help you need if you're sincere.
We see the qualities of Jesus in the Bible: love, kindness, compassion, honesty, courage, and holiness. To develop these traits in ourselves, we need the Holy Spirit's power to overcome our sinful nature.
"I could never be like Jesus," you might say.
You're right. None of us can be exactly like him. Jesus never sinned in his entire life. But we can strive to obey God and respond wisely to temptation.
This is a lifelong endeavor. Every day we face challenges. Sometimes we're victorious, sometimes we fail. The goal is not to be perfect. The goal is to grow.
As you do, life becomes more exciting. Remember, Jesus is your greatest encourager when it comes to spiritual maturity. A little improvement every day is enough.
Use past experience to help. Recall mistakes to learn what not to do in the future. When you see past bad choices as learning tools, you'll make great progress.
If you want to keep growing, you'll need to do things you've never done before. Ask God for courage. He'll give it to you so you can be bold for him.
Stepping out in faith makes us more confident. If we stumble, we see it's not the end of the world. If we succeed, it makes stepping out easier next time.
Tonight, before you go to bed, imagine what areas of your Christian walk you'd like to improve. Tomorrow morning, get up knowing if you want to keep growing, God will make it happen!
Food for Thought is a series of short, tightly focused messages to get you thinking about your life.
