Do you ever feel like you’re still the same person you were when you became a Christian? Are you sometimes left feeling like your faith is more of an obligation than a desire? Do you find yourself wondering if there’s something more to following Jesus? If so, you’re not alone. Many Christians find themselves in a season of life where they feel stagnant and unfulfilled. These challenges are common for anyone growing in faith, but that doesn’t mean they have to be inevitable. These 7 ways will help grow your maturity as a Christian so that your faith becomes second nature instead of something that feels like an obligation.
Commit to constant self-examination
Christian maturity takes time, and growth takes self-examining. When you were first born again, you went through a radical transformation. It’s like the Apostle Paul described when he talked about being “crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:19). There was a radical shift in your core being that enabled you to have a relationship with God by faith. This radical transformation, however, doesn’t mean that you are now perfect. Your old sinful nature still exists, and it wants to stay in control. In order to combat this and grow in your Christian maturity, you have to constantly be examining your heart for areas of sin and strongholds.
Cultivate a growth mindset
A lot of this comes from cultivating a growth mindset. When you were born again, you were given a new heart that was created to love and follow Christ. You were also given gifts and talents that you were made to use for His glory. But sometimes, Christians get caught up in comparing themselves to others. One of the fastest ways to stunt your growth and rob yourself of joy is to get caught up in comparing yourself to other people. When you do this, you’re operating on a fixed mindset that says, “Because I am who I am right now, I will always be who I am right now.” When you compare yourself to others, you’re operating with the mindset that your gifts and abilities will never grow and that you will never be able to reach the same level of success and fulfillment.
Set aside weekly time for spiritual discipline
While growth takes time, it’s not something that is bound by a calendar. However, there are certain disciplines that will help facilitate and speed up the process of growing. One of the most important spiritual disciplines you can cultivate is setting aside time each week for quiet time with God. This doesn’t have to be an hour of sitting in silence; it can be anything that brings you closer to God. Some people like to read Scripture, others like to journal, and some like to pray. The important thing is that you set aside a specific time during the week when you intentionally seek to grow in your relationship with God.
Reconnect with your core beliefs
As you grow in your Christian maturity, you’ll likely run across some core beliefs that you need to reconnect with. It’s important to periodically go back to the beginning of your faith journey and look at what core beliefs got you to where you are today. One of the best ways to do this is to go back and read your “born again” testimony. On top of that, reading the Bible and other Christian books will help you reconnect with core beliefs.
Build a support network of Christian friends
Christian maturity doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and it’s important to have Christian friends who will love you in your season of life. A support network of Christian friends will help keep you accountable and help you stay connected to God. Beyond that, having Christian friends who share some of your passions will help you discover new things about God and your Christian walk.
Discover what you’re uniquely called to do
As you spend time studying your core beliefs, you will likely discover your unique call to do. Your gifts and talents are meant to be used for God’s glory, and when you get in touch with them, it will help you experience a new level of fulfillment. Discovering your unique call to do will help you change your focus from “What am I supposed to do?” to “What am I called to do?” It’s important that you use these developmental years to pursue ways to discover your unique call to do. It’s not something that will miraculously happen overnight.
Celebrate the small wins
Christian growth doesn’t happen overnight, and it isn’t about being perfect. One of the best ways to celebrate the small wins in your Christian walk is to keep a journal of your progress. It can be as simple as writing down one thing you’re grateful for each day, or you can find a journal that helps you dig a little deeper into your Christian walk. Beyond that, it’s important that you celebrate the small wins because they’re the building blocks of lasting change.
Conclusion
Christian maturity isn’t some unattainable goal that very few people achieve. It’s something that every Christian can experience if they’re willing to put in the work. These 7 ways to grow in Christian maturity will help you stay focused on the path to a life of abundant joy and fulfillment following Jesus.
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