Thursday, September 3, 2026

             Over time, babies become toddlers.  Toddlers become children.  Children become youth.  And youth become adults.  This process can seemingly happen overnight—just ask any parent of adult children.  But the reality is babies are born to grow up and become adults.  Spiritually, we are not to remain infants either.  A decades-long infantile Christian is heartbreaking to see.  We are to grow in Christ and become mature followers of Jesus.  We are born again at the moment of our conversion to faith in Jesus.  And, immediately after being born again, we start the journey of Christian maturity and growth. 
            Hebrews 5 speaks to our growing in Christ.  The Bible says, “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).  God did not save us to leave us as struggling, immature Christians—mere babes in the faith.  God calls us to grow into the likeness of Christ.  This growth is to be ongoing and enduring.    
            Romans 8:29 says, “God predestined believers to be conformed to the image of His Son.”  Ephesians 4:15 says, “we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”  So, yes, our growth in Christ and spiritual maturity is very much God’s plan for us.  Our growth is on the forefront of His radar.  Yet, many Christians choose to linger and flounder in immaturity and almost infantile faith.  To grow in Christ, Hebrews 5 says, requires good, solid spiritual food.  We need robust and daily Bible reading and study.  We need to pray frequently and faithfully.  We need to worship with other believers consistently.  Hebrews says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (10:24-25).  We need to be with other healthy believers who can encourage and inspire us to grow in Christ.  We need opportunities to serve where we develop a servant’s heart and give of ourselves just as Christ gave Himself up for us at the cross. 
            Sadly, many Christians enjoy little, if any, real growth in faith and Christlikeness.  They stagnate.  And this stagnation can easily intensify over time.  You may find yourself today in a bit of a “slump” spiritually.  You can remain there and gradually experience more and more of the same.  Objects at rest tend to stay at rest.  Or, you can get into the Bible. Get back to worshipping with other believers.  Take some time to pray.  Invite a healthy, mature Christian to help you be accountable in breaking free from this slump.  Occasionally, these spiritual slumps are the result of some spiritual failure or mishap.  It could be a bad decision.  It could be a moment of regret that you have let define yourself.  But remember, Christ still loves you.  He died for those sins, bad decisions and regrets that we often allow to remain in our minds and hearts.  We carry them unnecessarily.  We hold on to bitterness and disappointment to our detriment.  Christ calls us to release our sins to Him and to remember that He died for those sins and can set us free from a stagnant faith and life.  That is the truth.  Do not allow the enemy to lie to you any longer.
            Just as a car battery often needs a jumpstart, we can spiritually need one too.  Today may be such an occasion for you.  Ask the Lord to help you begin taking the first steps to running in the great race of faith again.  Satan would love to isolate you on the sidelines and marginalize your faith and influence.  Do not fall for those old tricks and schemes that the evil one likes to unleash.  Get back to the faithful spiritual disciplines that produce faithful men and women for Christ—Bible study, prayer, worship, tithing, serving, coming together with other believers and making your spiritual growth the number one priority in your life.  Remember these encouraging words from Hebrews 12, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (12:1-2a).  Have a great Thursday!  Get up and get going for the glory of God!