Growth is part of the Christian life. Throughout our days following Jesus, we are designed to take off our old self and put on our new, as our minds are renewed (Ephesians 4:22-24). With every passing year, the hope is that we become more like our king. And, thankfully, the Lord is at work bringing that to pass (Philippians 1:6). But what does growth actually look like?
Observable change
The most obvious answer to that question is: tangible change. Someone who used to use pornography but now doesn’t – someone who had let their prayer life slip but is now talking vibrantly to the Lord once more – they’re growing. Such growth is wonderful to see. It’s the kind of growth most of us want. Those noticeable, clear steps are a massive encouragement, and how we praise the Lord for those times when we can look back over our lives and, with the Corinthians, say ‘that’s what I was – but no longer’ (1 Corinthians 6:11).
But change is a process – sanctification is progressive – and there are a lot of steps that come between struggle and freedom. How else might growth look?
Telling God it hurts
Psalm 88 is full of sad words – hard words – words of lament. There is no hint of praise. There are no confident assertions of God’s goodness. The sons of Korah penned a song that encourages us to turn to the Lord and say, ‘life’s awful right now’. Growth might look like moving from silence to saying, “my soul is full of sorrow” (Psalm 88:3).
Asking for wisdom
It’s easy to think we know how to get ourselves out of a mess. There’s plenty of pride in the human heart and plenty of fuel on the internet to convince us that we can sort out any struggle we face. But the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Setting aside self-sufficiency and being humble enough to ask God for help might be an astonishing moment of growth. Sanctification might look like saying, ‘teach me to be wise, Lord’ (James 1:5).
Gaining insight
James, in his letter, spent time unpacking why Christians sometimes struggle. He explains the power of the tongue (James 3), the reasons we should not boast about tomorrow, and the roots of our anger (James 4) – he enables us to understand ourselves and our inclinations better. Growth can look like understanding for the first time that something is a sin – or a delight – or seeing that there are different ways of living life. Understanding can often precede the more obvious outward changes.
A desire to change
After understanding that life could be different, there is often a growing phase where we begin to desire to be different. Maybe the outer changes haven’t started, maybe we have not actually repented of our sin, but, inside, we have moved from wanting to stay in the pigsty of our circumstances and to wanting to come home (Luke 15:17).
Seeing God a little more clearly
None of us see God as he truly is. We may try to be faithful but the finite nature of our minds, the culture in which we live, the experiences we have had, the hardness of our hearts, all cloud our view. Growth can be starting to see one aspect of God’s character or activity more clearly. It might mean beginning to believe that he is the God of all compassion (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) – or the holy one who will bring justice (Isaiah 45:11). Even if it’s a shaky belief, starting to see the Lord more faithfully is exciting growth.
A fleeting victory over temptation
There are many temptations – the world, the flesh and the devil are eager to lead us astray. And, this side of the new heavens and the new earth, we won’t conquer them all. But as Jesus changes our heart – as we exercise self-control – we can avoid entering the path of the wicked, some of the time at least (Proverbs 4:14). Growth might look like conquering temptation once or twice – even if we falter and fail multiple times each day.
None of these things are end points in our sanctification journey but these, and many other things besides, can be praise points. They are markers of change. Signs of the Spirit at work. Staging posts on our journey of growth.
As such, they are worth noticing and celebrating. They’re worth noticing in our own lives. They’re worth noting in the lives of those we are walking alongside. As we do so, we become “grace-hunters” – people on the lookout for where God is at work and where Christlike transformation is taking place. We become encouragers as we remind ourselves, and those around us, that life is progressing – it’s not stagnant – and there is even better ahead. So, this week, and every week, let’s commit to enjoying not just the big transformations but the many faces of Christ-centred growth.
