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Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers that Christ had gifted them “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13).
That’s the journey we’re on—being built up in our faith and our knowledge of Jesus so that we become mature in Christ. It’s an exciting, amazing journey—but it doesn’t just happen. Here’s another suggestion of how we can make sure we are continuing to grow up in Christ:
Establish a good daily schedule.
Growing spiritually so that you become more like Jesus requires change, and change is not something you do some days and then take a break from other days. Change is a shift in lifestyle. It requires daily dedication, to the point that a new habit takes the place of an old one and no longer requires conscious effort.
I strongly encourage you to establish good routines for your days—like the time you get up, and time set aside each day for Bible reading and prayer, boundaries on what you watch and how much you’re on social media. And just make yourself stick to that new good schedule until it becomes the normal, natural thing for you to do. I totally understand that growing up in Christ is not a legalistic list of things to do and not do; but it is a life that is disciplined. There is no way you or I can grow into the mature person God wants us to be if we’re not willing to be disciplined.
I can tell you that discipline does not come easy for me, it really doesn’t. But I have learned that without it, I’ll never be what Jesus created me to be. Proverbs 15:32 says, “Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.” You are despising yourself—disrespecting yourself, holding yourself back from all kinds of good things when you disregard important disciplines. Want to grow spiritually? Establish a good daily schedule and practice it consistently.