1. Move from “It’s all about me” to “It’s all about God.”
If you want to grow in your faith, then it is time you come to the realization that this Christian walk is not about you and that it never was. Walking with God is not about fulfilling your wants, desires, or dreams. Instead, it is about God, His pleasure, and His will for your life. It is about joining Him to fulfill His purposes. We must realize that He is the one who should receive the glory, not us. True growth will never occur until we realize that whatever we do, whether we are eating or drinking, we do it all for the Glory of God (see 1 Corinthians 10:31).
2. Move from being a convert to being a disciple.
What’s the difference between a convert and a disciple? Simple – a convert is only concerned about outward appearances. They want to look good in front of everyone. They want to make sure they get to heaven. They want to be in the in-crowd. A disciple, however, is actively seeking to live like Jesus. A disciple is consumed by God and will do whatever it takes to follow their savior. A disciple willingly leaves everything he has to follow Jesus (see Matthew 19:27).
3. Move from wanting to be fed by others to feeding yourself (and then feeding others).
One of the most common complaints that pastors hear from disgruntled church members is that they aren’t being fed by their sermons. Well. . . can you show up to a buffet once a week and expect one meal to carry you to the next Sunday? Of course not. You can’t expect one sermon to feed you either. That’s why growing Christians need to move from wanting someone else to feed them to learning to feed themselves. Once Christians learn to pray and feast on God’s Word daily, then they will never go hungry again. They will move from milk to solid food (see 1 Corinthians 3:2) And once they do, they can take what they are eating and feed it to others who are hungry just like they were.
4. Move from being an observer to being a participant.
It amazes me how many people equate going to church with being a great Christian. Going to church every week and listening to a great sermon or great music does not guarantee Christian growth any more than watching a football team guarantees you a spot on the team. To truly grow, you must do more than just go to church. You must be the church. You must be the church whether you are in the building or not. You must actively practice the principles you learned about during Sunday morning worship. You must let your Sunday worship time overflow into worship the rest of the week. And you must use your spiritual gifts for the edifying of the church (see Ephesians 4:16).
5. Move from giving God your leftovers to giving Him your first fruits (your very best).
Most of us give God our leftovers. If we have a little extra money at the end of the month, we donate it to the church or to those in need. We go to church only if it does not conflict with other events on our schedule. We talk about God with our friends, but only if they bring him up first. We spend time in prayer, but it’s once we have tried every other solution. Many times, we turn to God as a last resort or a last thought. It’s easy to do. Trust me, I’ve been there too. But God doesn’t want our leftovers; He wants our best. Bring Him the best of what you have. Bring Him your first fruits rather than your leftovers (see Exodus 23:16-19).
6. Move from knowing the Bible to living it out.
It’s easy to know the Bible; it’s a lot harder to live it out. It’s easy to feel convicted by a great sermon; it’s even easier to walk out of the church and to do nothing with that conviction. But true growth requires more than just knowledge; it requires actions. We must hear and know the Word of God, then we must do what it says (see James 1:22).
7. Move from wanting to lead to being willing to follow.
Often times our first instinct is to want to lead. It feels good having people follow us. It feels good being in control. When we are leading, we can make an impact; we can make a difference. Now, don’t get me wrong – this world needs good, Godly, Christian leaders in every facet of daily life. We need Christian foremen, principals, chairmen, CEO’s, and pastors. But before we start to lead, we must first learn to follow. We must first be willing to give up everything to follow Jesus. Then we can lead. Then we can say with Paul, follow me as I follow Christ (see 1 Corinthians 11:1).
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