It does not matter how old or young you are, where you work, where you live, how big or small your family is; regardless of all these different scenarios, growing is a part of every facet of life. Every day we wake up, we grow another day older. Every day spent with your parents, spouse, children, or friends is another day growing closer to them and knowing them better.  

1. When you hear the word “grow,” what comes to mind? 

2. Does it make you feel anxious and daunted or excited and happy? 

For years, weightlifting and working out has been a huge part of my life. For the majority of my life, I was overweight, so that always plays a mental factor. However, it has become not simply a routine but an essential part of my life. Throughout this journey of weight loss and what eventually became physical growth, it has been one step at a time. Weight loss and strength do not happen overnight, although I truly wish they did! Every day, I have had to make the decision to show up and put in the work and time, and I have seen growth. Again, this did not happen all at once, nor was it always measurable. Yet, every time I lift or run, growth happens.  

3. What is something that you have actively worked on growing in your life? 

4. What are some of the challenges or roadblocks you have hit? 

In Romans 8:26-28, Paul writes, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Paul shares one of the three key ingredients to spiritual growth. In this passage, Paul focuses on the work of the Spirit. We know that as Jesus said in John 16:4-15, He was going to leave this Earth. However, He was not going to leave us, His followers who confess and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior; He was going to send a Helper, the Holy Spirit. Then, in Acts chapter 2, we see the glorious indwelling of the Spirit upon the disciples in the upper room. From there, we see the indwelling of the Spirit in the lives of all who believe and confess Jesus as Savior! Paul talks about how the Spirit works in us to intercede, guide, and strengthen us.  

5. When you read John 16:4-15, what does it mean to have the Spirit in each of us as followers of Christ? 

6. Have you ever had a time in your life when you felt the Spirit leading you? What was that like? Were you obedient? 

Paul also mentions another key ingredient to spiritual growth: prayer. The incredible thing about the work of the Spirit in our lives is that even when we do not know how to pray, He does, and He intercedes on our behalf to God the Father. Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that we are to pray without ceasing. What this means is that we are constantly listening to the Lord, the Spirit’s leading in our lives and that we are prioritizing Christ in all we do. This does not mean that we have to be 24/7 in prayer to God, as that would be impossible, but it is the act of continually and consciously thinking of and prioritizing Him in all aspects of our lives.  

7. When was the last time you spent time praying? 

8. Take time now to just pause, either individually or as a group, to pray, and, as Philippians 4:4-6 tells us, let God know what is going on in your heart and life. 

Finally, in Romans 8:28, Paul writes, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” If you get nothing else from all this, understand this truth. For us as followers of Jesus Christ, those who have confessed and believed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, know that the Lord is always working for our good according to His perfect will. One of the hardest parts of growth is when things do not go according to plan. There have been many times during my fitness journey that I have had setbacks like tendinitis, broken toes, stitches in my hands, sickness, and the dreaded shoulder injury - if you know, you know! Yet, through all these setbacks, I have learned to adapt. I learned which lifts and movements not to do. I also learned how to overcome. 

In the same way, during our walk with the Lord, we will have setbacks. Our priorities may shift a little. We will neglect the importance of prayer and reading God’s Word, or we may even ignore the Spirit’s leading. However, it is the moments that we admit and observe our neglect in our walks with the Lord that we can learn and experience another opportunity for growth. Remember, true growth takes time, hard work, and sometimes hard lessons, but it will always produce the greatest results. For our spiritual growth, if we are truly working daily to grow nearer to Him through prayer, reading God’s Word, and obedience to the Spirit’s leading, we will get to experience His will for our lives unfold in ways we never expected.  

9. What do you need to do to refocus and realign your life to the Lord’s growth plan for you? 

10. How will you grow in the Lord today, this week, and this month?