Personal Development

How do you go about measuring and directing your spiritual growth and maturity? It may even seem as though trying to measure your spirituality is an exercise in either futility or vanity. Why would you want to measure your spiritual maturity, and wouldn’t that lead you to despair or toward pride? These are all valid questions and concerns. A fruitful Christian life requires that you know not only what your goal is but knowing how to get there and how to tell if you’re making progress. Tracing a path for your growth and maturity. What is the Christian life all about? One answer is that it’s about becoming more like Jesus in every aspect of one’s life. We are to have the same mind as that of Christ (Philippians 2:1-11), and the pursuit of a life of spiritual maturity through the power of the Holy Spirit produces certain fruit in a person’s life such as love, patience, kindness, and self-control (Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:11-32). One way to trace a path for your growth and maturity is to consider if you are growing in virtue, that is, in certain characteristics or qualities that mark a life lived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Desiring this life is not a return to the form of thinking where we believe we are saved and become acceptable to God because of the good things we’ve done or are doing. Rather, we are saved by grace through faith – these are gifts of God toward us. But God saves us for something, and that something is to become more like Jesus, to nurture certain qualities within us (Ephesians 2:1-10). There are seven virtues to consider that can help set your direction for growth. Remember, this is just one way to do this. You [...]

Are you struggling to know how to find hope in a difficult situation? Consider these scenarios: Nancy is a twenty-something who grew up in a home where her parents always struggled. Their power and gas were cut off frequently, sometimes dinners consisted of stale bread and a dollop of off-brand peanut butter, and she was often made fun of for her raggedy clothes and stained shoes. Tom is a career firefighter who commits his life and safety to the well-being of others. He comforts rape victims, runs into burning buildings, responds to life-changing incidents, and sees people take their last breath as a “normal” day at the office. Tanya is a social worker who does home visits for children in foster care and is part of the process of removing children from harmful and heartbreaking home situations. She has seen children dropped off and discarded like they are garbage (even from wealthy homes), which has resulted in her constantly looking over her shoulder and wondering if people are who they say they are. Dan is a war veteran who served overseas on many tours. He saved many, many lives and served with every inch of his heart. While he was serving his country, his wife asked for a divorce via text, and when he returned, their home was empty, and she avoided contact with him. He was left feeling hopeless and alone and wondering what he could have done to prevent it. Perhaps you have dealt with a heartbreaking situation like one of the above scenarios and are currently wondering how to find hope amidst turmoil. Perhaps you are trying to count your blessings but are having trouble pointing them out. When people struggle, they often wonder where God is. When people struggle, people often doubt (or want to [...]

Ecclesiastes informs us that God has set eternity in the heart of humanity (Ecclesiastes 3:11). For all of our quests for understanding, significance, and self-esteem beyond the routines of daily life, we will never unravel it apart from the Everlasting Father. Yet, God reserves some eternal mysteries for Himself such that what we seek can only be found in our Creator. There is a certain fulfillment that He reveals as we delve deeper into the unique purpose He’s assigned to us. He is the Beginning and End, who created, chose, and called us for Himself. (Revelation 1:8) It may present no alarm to us that the same enemy who sought to sabotage Adam and Eve opposes us. He persuaded them that they lacked what they had already possessed, causing them to view themselves as less than what God had already settled. They didn’t need to consume fruit from a forbidden tree to be like God as the serpent suggested (Genesis 3:5). They already were, as God had created them in His Image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). Sin’s effects have continued to filter through humanity, infecting us with the same distorted view. We contend against demonic forces that pit themselves against our God-given identity (Ephesians 6:11). They have influenced our fallen world, releasing the enemy’s schemes to intercept our ability to see ourselves as God does. Although the war waged against our minds and emotions is not a flesh-and-blood fight, it is still very real.  God has equipped us with all that’s needed to stand against the devil’s wiles and experience the settled victory in Christ (Ephesians 6:12). By choosing to agree with and activate what His Word says about our true identity, we can esteem our path into purpose and partner with God to be and do greater than [...]

Have you ever been presented with an opportunity that sounded amazing, but you turned it down because you did not feel equipped to carry it out properly? How did that make you feel? Did saying no to the opportunity lower your self-esteem and confidence and hurt your self-growth? Now consider this: what if you spent time working on yourself, your mind, your emotional resiliency, and your marketable skills? How far could this self-growth and personal development take you? When you prioritize self-growth and pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses, the sky is the limit. Why focus on self-growth? God created each one of us with unlimited potential, yet we place a limit on ourselves. Sometimes we blame our circumstances, childhood, location, or education. But the truth is that no matter where you are currently, you can make a change. That change starts with you embracing self-growth. How to develop self-growth Self-growth is the continuing education of yourself. It is the study of you and what you need to learn to fulfill your purpose and calling. You are born with a talent that can be honed, but you must learn skills. The good news is that everyone else must learn skills too. Self-growth is part of personal development and can serve you for the rest of your life. The following are ways you can start embracing self-growth. Set goals. Where do you see yourself a year from now? Five years from now? Where do you want to be a year from now? Like with any journey, you need to set a destination before you can plan how to get there. Do you want to own your own business? Do you want to open a nonprofit? Ask yourself questions. Challenge yourself. Some of these goals may sound too big and impossible, but [...]