Growing Spiritually

Within the last few months, I’ve grown spiritually in more ways than I could have imagined. It all started with disconnecting from the world and diving into The Truth & The Life - God.

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Getting involved. Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to serve on my church’s Dream Team on the kid’s ministry side. Every other Sunday, I have the opportunity to tell our kiddos about how awesome Jesus is by sharing a Bible story and how it applies to the real world. Each week brings something new to the table. Often, I find that the questions kids ask are deeper than they think; they make us, as leaders, step back and look at a relationship with Christ in a different way. How does Heaven work? How can God always forgive us? What does it mean to actually lead by example? All of these are questions I’ve thought about in the past few months. Teaching kids means having an open heart + mind.

Meaningful encounters. Serving within my church has provided multiple opportunities to have encounters that have depth. I’ve met people who I can ask to pray for me at any time & I know, without a doubt, that each of those individuals would be there for me. Additionally, I started attending Chi Alpha meetings (a Christian-based college group) about two months ago, where I have had multiple friendships grow. These friendships are ones that I can count on to help me grow through the Lord. Each of these individuals holds me accountable to maintain a lifestyle that pursues Christ; one that’s different from the usual “college” lifestyle.

As I continue to find the relationships that help me grow through Christ, I’ve also had the opportunities to lead by example to those around me who may not know Christ. It all starts with being genuine and intentional with the words I speak. Are they of life and truth? Or are they of death and negativity? Every day I strive to speak life into at least one person who may need it, which has changed the way I view the world and helped me in my pursuit to grow with the Lord.

Prayer. This is, for me, the most important outlet to begin connecting with the Lord. I often find myself praying at random parts of the day - when I feel thankful, confused, overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed. While I still continue to grow in this area, it is the beginning of every first thought of mine going to the Lord. This also allows me to spend additional time with God throughout the day. Spending time with Him creates a deeper relationship that allows growth in different ways. If we choose to spend time with Him, we are choosing to make Him our first priority.

Even further, prayer has helped me prepare for the future, whether that be for a job, school, friendship, relationship, or whatever else. I pray that the Lord guides me in ways that align with His plan for me - His Will, not mine. I fail often, but His grace and mercy are there every time.

Surrender and trust. This one is hard. No matter how much I pray, my actions are (almost) meaningless if I do not fully surrender and trust in the Lord. So, how does that begin? It starts with surrender. When praying, I open my hands in the symbolization of letting God take it from me. My hands are open for him to scoop my problems from me - but it doesn’t end there. Once I surrender it to Him, I must trust that he is in control. When I feel overwhelmed, I pray in reminder that it is no longer all on me. The second I begin to worry again is the second that I no longer have full trust in Him. While it’s hard (and probably what I struggle with the most), the rewarding feeling of conquering something after giving it to Him is unmatched. Trust and surrender go hand-in-hand when growing spiritually.

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Living in the world can be fun at the moment, but living for the Lord provides hope that lasts forever. It provides a sense of security that we are no longer alone. No matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, I encourage each of you to look into one of these aspects of furthering your spiritual life. Disconnect from the world around you and dive into the freedom He has for you. We are all far too great to live a life full of worldly pursuits.