How to Grow as a Christian
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-11)
I decided to quote this whole passage because I think it’s very important. Some are not very motivated to pursue their spiritual growth, thinking perhaps that there’s nothing wrong with just remaining where they are spiritually. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not growing has dire consequences! Notice verse 9, “But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.” If you choose to remain stagnant in your Christian life, you may find yourself becoming lukewarm and then eventually forgetting that you have been cleansed from your past sins.
How can you avoid this?
The key is to have goals in your Christian walk. There are five goals that you must aim for and pursue using the resources that God supplies you abundantly. Peter says, “3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
- Goal No. 1 – Follow Jesus well.
- Goal No. 2 – Help another person follow Jesus.
- Goal No. 3 – Help another person follow Jesus well.
- Goal No. 4 – Help another person do what you do (Goals No. 1, 2 and 3).
- Goal No. 5 – Increase your capacity.
To learn how to follow Jesus well, you need to learn certain spiritual disciplines. To help another person follow Jesus, you need to explain the Gospel and guide them toward genuine conversion. To help another person follow Jesus well, you need to teach them the same spiritual disciplines that helped you. To help another person do what you do, you need to teach them how to help others as well. Lastly, you need to increase your capacity. Helping one person is a good beginning. But over time, you need to help more than just one person. Maybe you can help a small group. As you grow, you may want to help more and more people. Perhaps God may even use you to create an organization or even a movement of people. The sky is the limit. Follow the Lord as He guides you and uses you according to His purpose.
These goals are not linear. You don’t need to perfect one goal before you move to the next. Even as you are working on one goal, you can start moving to the next. Over time, you may be working on several goals. The important thing to remember is that you cannot pursue these goals by yourself. You need others to help you. If you have these goals, you will not become lukewarm or unproductive. Instead you will always move forward. Even if there are setbacks in your life, your goals will help you persevere in the Lord. You will develop grit.
Set goals. Find out what is your next step in following Jesus. Share it with others. Let others hold you accountable. Remember what the apostle Peter says, “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”