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The marks on the back of the door tell of the height growth of the children over the years.
The clothing in the back of the closet the kids can no longer wear speaks of their physical growth.
The escalating cost of school books as kids move into high school and then into college bear testimony to the maturation growth.
They're growing up. In my case... have grown up.
But how can you tell when spiritual growth is taking place? Where are the markers? How are we to know if one's development as a disciple of Jesus Christ has plateaued or is even regressing?
There is no answer book for this question. There are only indicators.
Here is a list of ten signs... indicators... markers that we are growing in Christ, that we are getting it right.
1. A Changing Appetite
The taste for spiritual things changes. Desiring to study the Word of the Lord and looking forward to it. It ceases in being just a have-to. Job said, I have esteemed the words of Thy mouth more than my necessary food (Job 23:12).
At the same time this is happening, the thirst for a trashy novel, an entertainment magazine, an inappropriate movie or a television celebrity expose' is drying up. The appetite for spiritual junk food diminishes. And that's a good thing!
2. A Disgust for the Shameful
The more we become like Christ -- and that is God's plan for every believer -- the more we will find ourselves turning away in disgust at activities that used to fascinate us. Paul spoke of certain activities as "shameful even to speak of" (Ephesians 5:12).
On another occasion, Paul spoke of the enemies of the cross of Christ: "Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame." They "set their minds on earthly things," he said (Philippians 3:19).
No more dirty jokes. No porn movies or books or magazines. Not even the mildly racy stuff. We just don't need it anymore. We have better things to do and read.
3. A Love for Believers
There is something almost uncanny about this: the closer we are to Christ, the more we will love His people. Likewise, the further we stray from Him, the less use we have for them and the more critical we become of them. It is an ironclad principle, one that never fails: love Christ, love His people ... love the world, despise His people.
Remember that the next time you hear some backslidden church member running down church members. By this shall all men know you are my disciples, that you love one another (John 13:35).
So, you find yourself treasuring those believers at church who are genuinely giving their best to the Lord, even though it's small potatoes to the world. Congratulations! You are becoming like Jesus.
4. An Unusual
Peace and Quietness
The latest upheavals in the economy and in the political realm do not unnerve you the way they used to. You are far steadier than previously. You still care about the country, you work at being a good citizen, and you pray for your leaders. But you know that fixing your hope on them is a sure recipe for disappointment.
If you then be risen with Christ, set your affection on things above where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:1-2).
5. Your Strange
Patience
Your love for people and your patience with them is becoming stronger and steadier. Sometimes it surprises you. You remember when crazy drivers, unloving people and ungodly conditions in the world drove you to distraction.
As a result, you find yourself able to minister to people who do things displeasing to God. Just as surgeons and nurses in the operating room look past the tragedy of blood and brokenness to treat the patient, you find yourself more and more able to do something similar: you look past the shame and love the person. This enables you to serve in a homeless shelter, in the jail, in rough neighborhoods, in mission centers, all in love.
6. Your
Joy and
Laughter
This is a surprising development. You might have expected that becoming like Jesus would mean growing sterner, graver, more serious. And while part of you has deepened in that way, your spirit has sprouted wings. You are now able to soar higher, to laugh at trouble, to find joy in the simplest of pleasures, to rejoice in Christ when nothing is going your way. Sometimes you will find yourself laughing when nothing provokes it. Joy is like that.
You have put gladness in my heart, more than when their grain and new wine increased (Psalm 4:7). Natural joy without worldly additives.
7. A New
Generosity
You haven't given away all your money but how you look at money is changing. It has become "a means to an end," and not the goal of anything. Money is a tool to be used to bless people for Christ's sake. Some say one mark of maturity is to enjoy saving money more than spending it. But we can go that one better: to enjoy putting money to work in the service of God and people.
When Lawrence Bryant came to know Christ at the age of 43, his priorities were turned on their head. Instead of amassing wealth, he delighted in blessing others with what God had given him. His wife Helen remarked to her mother one day, "If you come home and find a moving van backed up to the door, Lawrence has given away the house."
John Dowdle gave a young preacher a large check to assist him in his seminary education. Later he said, "That same day I made three times that much in a little business transaction." He was quiet for a minute, then said, "That happens so much it almost frightens me." He was discovering he could not outgive God.
8. Joy in
Anonymous Acts
They said of Jesus that He "went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). That's the idea of leaving a trail of blessed people in your wake.
Not all our giving and working should be anonymous. We are bearing a witness for our Lord through our good deeds, and thus we want people to know their Source and to be directed toward Him as a result. However, we get just as big a delight out of blessing someone without them knowing where it came from.
Most of our prayer for people should be anonymous. If I feel that I need to keep reminding people "I'm praying for you," it might indicate a lack of faith in my prayer and more confidence in the power of telling them that I'm praying for them. Much of our praying and giving should be in secret. (Matthew 6:3-4)
9. More Silence
in Your Prayer Time
Learn to enjoy silence with each other, and not feeling the need to fill the vacuum with chatter. So it is with prayer.
Someone asked Mother Teresa, "You pray hours a day. What do you talk about all that time?" She said, "Mostly, I just listen."
When praying in private three suggestions are: read the Scripture, then talk to the Lord a while, and then sit quietly. After a bit, read some more of the Word, talk to the Lord again and then sit in silence for a while. Repeat as you feel led.
10. Unceasing Prayer
When asked how long you pray each day Paul tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
A third-grader walking up a West Virginia mountaintop to school each morning would often talk to the Lord about various subjects. However, in his childlike understanding, he would not say "amen" at the conclusion of the prayer. He likened to do so seemed equivalent to hanging up the phone, and the last thing he wanted to do was to cut the Lord off. He wanted the Lord involved in all he was doing all day long.
The Lord wants His children to grow spiritually, to become more and more like Christ. Theologians refer to this as sanctification. Paul expressed it like this: But we all...are being transformed into the same image (of Christ) from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 3:18).
You will develop your own list of indicators of spiritual growth in Christ. The best indicator of all that you are growing in Christ is this: Someone comments on your godly character and you think, "Who? Me?
Christlikeness has an akin to humility: Those who have it most are least aware of it, but only see how much further they have to go.
The subject of Christlikeness, the process of sanctification is not finished until we stand before the Savior Himself. As John said, We shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). And we shall be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51).
The completion of sanctification goes by the name of glorification -- when we are changed into His likeness completely -- as we arrive in Heaven.
Prepare for that today!
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Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week's column comes from Rev. Don Grant of Hillview Wesleyan Church, Flemington.