Spiritual Growth

The life of faith is a journey. And, in this lifetime, we never “arrive” at our destination. We can never sit back spiritual and say, “Ah, I’ve finally got it!” As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are continually learning and growing. There is always room for Christ to teach us more. John Wesley called it sanctification—growing in holiness.

 

We don’t always think about faith as a journey. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that faith is a one-time transaction: “If I just accept Christ, then I will go to heaven.” But the truth is, even after we say “Yes” to God, God will continue to work on us and to shape us into the people we’re called to be.

 

If God is going to reshape us, then we have to be ready and listening. God needs us to participate in the journey. That is why we pray, study the Bible, worship, receive communion and connect with other Christians. At Christ UMC, we want to offer plenty of opportunities to grow spiritually. There are ways to learn about prayer and to pray with others. There are Bible studies and Sunday School classes to help us look for God’s Word in Scripture. Our worship life is strong and vibrant. We have communion on the first Sunday of every month. And we do all of these things not as individuals pursuing only our private relationship with God, but as a community of faith striving to be the body of Christ in the world.

 

We cannot be private Christians. We need each other to grow in our spiritual lives. The life of faith is a journey, and we must support and lean on our fellow travelers as we go. After all, it’s about relationships.