Strategies for Spiritual Growth: How to Move Forward When You Seem Stuck

Steve Baney, PhD

We are instructed by God to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). But how does that work? As a kid, I grew taller and stronger just simply by existing. So why doesn't the same thing happen spiritually? Lack of spiritual progress can feel very frustrating. Why is it that we sometimes feel the same spiritually as we did long ago? Our prayers feel the same. Our mastery of the Bible feels the same. Our acts of ministry and service feel the same. How is it that we grow?

I remember feeling so frustrated, even hopeless at times, when I would try and fail to resist certain habitual temptations. I would promise God. Then I'd break my promise. So I would make an oath with God (as if that was more potent). Then I would break my oath. I wasn't making progress. I wasn't growing.

Until.

Things changed for me for a great number of reasons. We'll explore them together here. And you'll find some strategies you can use for your own spiritual growth.

When evaluating physical growth, we use measurements like a measuring tape and a scale. But these won't help evaluate spiritual growth. What is the measurement? God tells us that spiritual growth means "being transformed into the same image" of Jesus, in other words, becoming more like him (2 Corinthians 3:18). Similarly, Ephesians 4:15 says, "we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ."

What would happen to a child who was fed only junk food and garbage, never anything nutritious or even remotely healthy? You guessed it: they'd be sick all the time. It would affect their weight, energy, sleep, and appearance. The same concept can be applied to spiritual growth. What have you been "feeding" yourself spiritually? God's Word tells us that we should "long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow" (1 Peter 2:2). Have you been living on spiritual junk food? Or have you been filling yourself with God's truth, his living Word?

The world is full of various perspectives about the best ways to grow spiritually. Unfortunately, not every perspective can be right (as many are mutually exclusive). In order to understand the topic and differentiate Christian teaching from other world religions, let's consider some of the teachings of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam regarding spiritual growth.

In Buddhism, one of the techniques used for Buddhist spiritual growth is what they call meditation (this is not the same as Christian meditation). It involves the emptying of your mind. Whatever thoughts, plans, concerns, pain, etc. that may be in your mind, Buddhism teaches to empty that out. In contrast, biblical meditation is the opposite. Instead of emptying your mind, you are instructed to fill it with something specific: God's Word.

In Hinduism, yoga is the technique used to achieve spiritual growth - physical postures and breathing techniques. While posture is certainly an aspect of Christian worship, this Hindu form of exercise is not what Christians use to grow spiritually.

Islam teaches that spiritual growth comes through prayer, fasting, charitable giving, going on a trip to Mecca, and confessing that Allah is god. Some of these techniques are very similar to Christian practice and teaching. Prayer draws us closer to God as we communicate with him. Fasting is mentioned more than once as a valuable practice that yields powerful spiritual results. Charitable giving can be a means to serve and care for others, remembering that all we have comes from God and ultimately belongs to him. But as for the last two, a vacation isn't necessarily bad (nor is it necessarily helpful). And a Christian should never confess that anyone other that the Lord is God.

Now that we've taken a brief look at some non-Christian perspectives, which I do not recommend, let's delve into what God tells us to do as followers of Jesus Christ. In Mathew 7, Jesus described two people who each built a house. In both cases, the people hear Jesus' teaching. Both are building their house, which represents their lives. Both experience violent storms that are powerful enough to destroy the houses, situations and realities that are horrible enough to destroy a person's spiritual life. One house survives the storm; the other doesn't. So what makes the difference?

One of them puts Jesus' teaching into practice. He does what Jesus tells him to do. He obeys. Psalm 119:9 says you can stay on the path to purity by living according to God's Word. If you've spent some time in a church or in the Bible, you've already heard some of his teachings. Are you putting them into practice? Sure, the option to walk away and do nothing is always there. But look at what happens to the house (the life) that is built that way. Its foundation crumbles. And it gets destroyed. If you don't like that end result, then you need to consider making some adjustments.

Ask yourself a few questions:

1. Do I think about the same things Jesus thinks about?
2. Do my actions and habits look like the way Jesus lived?
3. Do my relationships reflect the kind of relationships Jesus had?
4. Do I spend time praying the way Jesus prayed?
5. Do people describe my character as being Christlike?

Try to explain why you answered the way you did by listing examples. If you're unsure about some of these answers, ask a friend how they would answer about you. This can be humbling. But it may actually be a better measure than self assessment. Sometimes others have a way of seeing what we prefer to miss.

Speaking of others, the value of accountability should not be underestimated. You need to find someone you trust, someone who you are confident that they will still love you even when you utterly fail. This is the best kind of person to keep you accountable. It could be your friend, pastor, counselor, or some other mature Christian. When they agree to do this for you, then you need to absolutely commit to total honesty and openness with them. They're going to ask you direct - and sometimes difficult - questions. And you're going to give them straight, honest, and complete answers. It doesn't stop with asking and answering tough questions. The next step involves them giving you guidance based on God's Word, the direction of the Holy Spirit, and their life experience. As they guide you about what you should do, humbly listen and try your best to implement everything so long as it's in alignment with Jesus' teachings. Accountabilty works well when you have regularly scheduled times for these conversations. When you have to admit that you've sinned or that you've failed to do something you said you would do, remember that your accountability parter demands your honesty and effort because they love you. They wouldn't bother to ask these uncomfortable questions if they didn't love you.

This was one of the key aspects of my freedom from habitual sins. My trusted friends kept me accountable. They forced me to face the reality of my sin. And they lovingly demanded that I turn from it. It was uncomfortable. But this was way better than the alternative: being stuck in sin that leads to death.

You're not in this alone. And even more powerful than the accountability provided by a trusted friend or pastor, you have access to the Holy Spirit. Jesus called him our helper. He reminds us of what Jesus taught (John 14:26). And he guides us to the truth (John 16:13). As we grow, the Spirit produces "fruit" that benefits everyone. The fruit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And he fills us with God's grace that strengthens us to say no to ungodliness (Titus 2:11-12).

When we read the gospels, we get descriptions of the way Jesus lived. But it can still feel far away and long ago sometimes. This is why it can be helpful to have a mentor, someone you look up to spiritually, who lives an exemplary life. They're not Jesus. But they are right in front of you. By striving to be like them, you are applying 1 Corinthians 11:1, in which Paul wrote, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

Becoming a Christian means becoming a disciple of Jesus. This involves making his mission your mission. Do you know what Jesus' mission was? If not, this is a great place for you to start identifying your next step for spiritual growth. If you already know, then you'll want to honestly evaluate whether you are acting in ways that work toward that mission. Are you making disciples the way he did?

Is it time for more in your spiritual life? Hebrews 6:1 challenges us: "let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation." You're ready for something more than the preschool level.

To sum up, spiritual growth requires our intentional effort and discipline. It involves feeding ourselves with God's Word, putting Jesus' teachings into practice, and seeking accountability from spiritual mentors. There may be growing pains. But it's always worth it, as we grow to become more like our Lord Jesus and live the abundant life he designed for us.

The question isn't whether you will lead people; it's where you will lead them. Whether you're holding a microphone, playing a keyboard, strumming a guitar, or running a sound system, the example you set can either lead people toward worship or away from it. Worship leaders around the world have benefitted from applying the lessons in this book. Get your copy