Step by Step
In my last blog I said Spiritual growth is incarnational and intentional. I want to add now (not just because preachers like triads that start with the same letter) it’s also INCREMENTAL – a gradual, step-by-step process.
2 Corinthians 3:18 reminds us, “..our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.” Once we start to follow Jesus, this transformation journey starts and only ends when he brings it to completion, but what can we expect along the way?
Lessons from the Race
Last year, approaching (unbelievably) my soon to be 60th annual lap of life, I decided to take up Parkrun, a free, community-led event movement of weekly 5-kilometre timed runs or walks in local parks and open spaces that started in London in 2004 – and is now in 22 countries.
I always try to keep fit and tended to do the odd run alone as part of that and it had been years since I ran regularly and in any sense ‘competitively’, though even now I am only really running against myself last time. The problem was that I gave it my all in the first Parkrun I entered, unexpectedly clocking quite a decent time basically because I didn’t know how far I still had to go. Maintaining or improving that time proved really challenging once I knew.
At the time of writing I’ve done 35 runs on hot or cold, muddy or lumpy paths or Saturday mornings. Some were faster, others slower – that’s running. Some days were fun, others were just about getting another one done.
The most valuable lesson I learned through this was not about shoes, speed or comparisons—it was the importance of turning up at the start line – taking the first step, and then the next step. In Parkrun and in faith, the most critical step is always the next one.
The apostle Paul likened spiritual growth to a race that he was running in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on… forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”
Growth Requires Process
I have only improved a little in a year of runs, but I press on. The weeks I didn’t bother or had a lie in did nothing to improve my fitness. I ran in other ways too but for Parkrun the only runs that counted toward my ‘milestones’ Parkrun celebrates are the ones where I remembered to bring my barcode because progress is measured by persistence, over time. I’m always in awe when I see someone with a 500 t-shirt on, whether they overtake me or vice versa, because that is the reward of consistency).
The day you give your life to Jesus you are loved perfectly – though we cannot earn or deserve it, but unless it’s a deathbed conversion it’s not the finish line it’s the start line – then we find that spiritual maturity isn’t instant. Modern life offers instant messaging, streaming and coffee but there’s no quick fix for growing in Christ. It’s a process, not a pill. We all want the mountaintop moments, but true growth often comes in the valleys, through challenges, and over time. The race we run has hurdles and hurts, obstacles and pit stops.
Paul’s like a great coach here as he reminds us to focus on consistent effort, training, and a Christ-focused process.
At Ivy Church, we describe this journey with our Discipleship Pathway:
- Discover Jesus Christ – meet him at the starting line, where we’re born again.
- Deliver – A messy but necessary step to be set free from past burdens and spiritual entanglements.
- Devote – Growing in love and worship of Christ.
- Develop – Spiritual and natural gifts for ministry
- Deploy – On Mission – serving others and glorifying God in the world.
These stages or steps are not really so linear and they certainly don’t lead to a place where we could ever say, “I have obtained it all…” either, but they reflect an ongoing progression of spiritual growth, with disciplines and training attached. It works because spiritual development mirrors our physical development. Babies breathe before they eat, eat before they walk, and walk before they talk. Spiritual growth happens in a similar order, and skipping steps is unhealthy and unnatural.
The Role of the Church
In Christianity spiritual growth is not meant to be a solo endeavour – though there have definitely been times I wish it was because people are hard to love and I can be heard to live with!
Just as Parkrun participants motivate and improve one another simply by running together in community, the church is designed by God to be a spiritual growth environment where we spur one another on to love and good deeds. We can’t do that solo, so the Bible calls us to be part of the body of Christ. Spiritual isolation leads to truncation or stagnation.
Being a Christian without belonging to a church family is like trying to run without a track, or train without a team. You can’t just say “I’m a BELIEVER” when God wants you to be a BELONGER too! We don’t just grow by sitting cross legged on top of a mountain on our own, we have to love in reality not just theory so the church is the place where with all its imperfections we grow, love, serve, learning as Believers and Belongers to Become more like Christ.
If someone says, “I love Jesus, but I don’t like the church,” while I know this may come from real hurts that need healing the sentiment itself reflects misunderstanding or immaturity. Jesus loves the church and he wants us to love what he loves. The church is Christ’s body—He loved it so much He died for it. The church is his bride – be careful what you say about her!
You can’t grow spiritually by yourself because it is all about LOVE. 58 times in the New Testament the phrase one another is used so if you are not part of a church how can you do those one anothers? How do we love one another, care for one another, help one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, minister to one another, greet one another, share with one another – and on and on?
Incremental and Intentional Growth
Remember – spiritual growth is incarnational (rooted in Christ), intentional (doesn’t just happen), and incremental (happens gradually) as together we’re transformed “from glory to glory.”
Action Points for Church Leaders:
- Encourage Consistency: Emphasise the importance of connection with others and spiritual disciplines.
- Outline the Path: A discipleship pathway to guide and mentor believers through their growth stages.
- Celebrate Small Wins: Highlight incremental progress to encourage perseverance.