What Is Spiritual Growth and How Do I Know that I Am Growing Spiritually?

Spiritual growth for a Christian is the phrase that we use to describe the changes that take place in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Now come on, it isn’t that lofty an ideal! It just means that as we are changed by God, that change is labelled spiritual growth.

We grow spiritually both intentionally and by ‘osmosis’ I think we could call it. When we are intentional in doing the things of Jesus, we grow to be more like him, more ‘Christ-like’ in who we are. When we spend time with others who are also striving to be Christ-like, they rub off on us. (Isn’t that what my high-school class taught was ‘osmosis’?!)

Intentional Spiritual Growth

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity… Hebrews 6:1

Intentional growth come from following spiritual disciplines purposefully. When we choose to do daily Bible readings and prayer time, we set out to learn more about God and deepen our relationship with him, on purpose. Richard Foster and Dallas Willard have written extensively on disciplines that come from biblical research and form an excellent foundation for identifying and then choosing to practice spiritual disciplines to deepen our relationship with God and become more Christ-like. These generally accepted disciplines include fasting, prayer, solitude, service, worship, to name a few from Foster. Willard includes fellowship, frugality, and sacrifice among the disciplines. The main point of both of these giants of spiritual discipline is that they have identified the activity in the Bible and found it brings about change in us, draws us into a more Christ-like attitude. Any action, particularly repeated and biblically identified may be something that you choose to undertake in order to grow spiritually.

Intentional growth need not follow a particular pre-identified method. For a few years now, there is a tradition to prayerfully consider a word of the year. The idea here is that God leads us to a word which will carry us closer to him, through study, observation in our lives and the world around us, or through application of the word in our lives.

For example, I have felt God saying to me that I need to trust him and plan less in this season, so I have identified TRUST as a word that I directs my spiritual life. When I have been unsure, I remind myself that I trust in the Lord, and he guides me unfailingly well. When I read Bible passages, I tend to notice the trust that figures have in the Lord, or their lack and the consequences of not trusting. These kinds of activities reinforce my trust in him.

If you’d like to consider a word for 2022, a simple quiz from Dayspring will suggest a word for part of your plan for spiritual growth this year.

Spiritual growth by ‘osmosis’

We are perhaps familiar with mirroring body language, that weird thing that happens when you begin to spend time with someone and realize that you have picked up some of their habits. My aunt once told me that there were times when she was speaking with me that she thought it was my mother in front of her, because I had the same facial expressions and hand motions. Well, having spent lots of time around my mother, I can see why I would pick up those things from her.

We pick up spiritual habits by spending time together too. Did you grow up praying before a meal, and now you do too but had never really considered why? Do you find yourself humming Christian music that your church sings often? What we do in fellowship, we tend to do when we are alone as well. This seems to be a direct proportion as well, spending more time with others in fellowship leads to more spiritual habits repeated and general growth. In fellowship, we challenge each other and practice spiritual disciplines, like prayer, thereby developing Christ-like habits.

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:15-16

How do I know I’m growing spiritually?

Set spiritual goals or define a word of the year, evaluate change, ask others. Simple but overwhelming? The beginning of the year is a traditional time to set goals, but I don’t want anyone to wait until the new year to consider setting spiritual goals or defining a word for the year. Mercies are new every morning (Lam. 3:23), so start new in the morning, but plan now. That is all well and good for the future, but have I grown recently?

I have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. Psalm 119:59

At any time, we can do a self-evaluation to consider our own growth. Start by choosing a time period; it need not be a year, but a month or quarter would work as well. Many people plan on a 90-day schedule, a manageable and definable time period where things happen but not so far away that we procrastinate. Are you the same today as you were in that period? Have you learned more about Jesus in this recent time period? Have you sought God in prayer more or less than the period before?  

For future evaluation, it might be good to write this down. It isn’t possible to ‘focus’ on every spiritual growth area at once, but little steps and one area at a time are doable. As you consider various areas over the last identified period, note it on a chart and then after the passage of time, you can again evaluate your growth. I’ve put together a simple guide with chart you might use to evaluate your growth and track your goals that you can download below.

Spiritual growth is personal

When we became a Christian, we likely said something about wanting Christ to rule in our hearts. That rule means that we have a relationship with him so that we may understand his desires for that leading of our hearts. Spiritual growth, often called sanctification, is a process by which we become more like Christ.

I suppose that I have chosen a word for the year - trust. However, I am only planning for a month at a time, work-wise. God hasn’t revealed more and I can’t force something that I don’t see and sense that he is directing me toward. That returns us to the word trust for this year. I trust he will take me where I need to go and lead me to do what I need to do.

How about you? What have you planned for your spiritual growth this coming year? Have you chosen a new Bible reading plan? Let me know what time period you plan for and what you are focusing on this period.

Free Spiritual Goals Evaluation and Tracker

A free tool to evaluate your spiritual goals and track them is available in the subscriber-only page. To access it, please join us.