Signs of Spiritual Growth
“A musician does not master an instrument by simply holding it or listening to others play. Skill is developed through consistent practice, deepening their ability to recognize pitch, tone, and harmony.”
📖 Hebrews 5:12-14
The author of Hebrews expresses deep concern for believers who have remained in spiritual infancy when they should have matured in their faith. Instead of advancing in their knowledge and experience of God’s truth, they have become sluggish, unable to handle the deeper things of God. They still require milk—the basics of the faith—when they should be feasting on solid food.
Growth in Christ is not a passive process. Just as physical maturity requires proper nourishment, spiritual growth requires a steady intake of God’s truth, applied through faith. When we yield to the indwelling life of Christ and His Spirit’s work in us, we develop discernment, recognizing truth from error and good from evil. A life that does not mature in Christ becomes dull, unable to recognize His voice or live in the fullness of His provision.
Reflection on Key Truths:
Spiritual growth is marked by increasing discernment. Those who are maturing in Christ can distinguish truth from deception and walk in wisdom.
Feasting on the deeper things of God requires yielding to Him. As we rest in His sufficiency, He leads us deeper into understanding and experience of His life within us.
Spiritual stagnation leads to dullness. Neglecting the life God has given results in a hardened heart and an inability to perceive His leading.
A Metaphor for Growth
A musician does not master an instrument by simply holding it or listening to others play. Skill is developed through consistent practice, deepening their ability to recognize pitch, tone, and harmony. In the same way, spiritual discernment sharpens as we walk in moment-by-moment fellowship with Christ, letting His Spirit guide our thoughts and choices.
Practical Application:
Nourish your spirit daily by meditating on God’s Word and abiding in Christ’s life within you.
Recognize that growth is not about striving in your own strength, but resting in the One who produces fruit in you.
If you have become dull to spiritual things, turn back to Christ, yielding to Him afresh, trusting Him to renew and restore your mind.
Consider the following.
Since spiritual growth is not about self-effort but about yielding to Christ as our life, how can we recognize when we are trying to ‘teach ourselves’ spiritual truths rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us into deeper understanding? What does it look like to feast on the ‘solid food’ of God’s Word while resting in Christ’s sufficiency?
When we consider this question, we are highlighting the exchanged life truth that maturity is not about striving but about allowing Christ to reveal Himself in and through us. This question invites discussion on the difference between intellectual pursuit and Spirit-led growth, reinforcing that our transformation comes from abiding in Christ, not merely accumulating knowledge.
In essence, the difference between self-effort in spiritual growth and yielding to Christ as our life comes down to who is the source of our learning and transformation—our own reasoning or the Holy Spirit’s work within us.
When we try to "teach ourselves" spiritual truths, we often approach Scripture as a set of principles to master rather than as the living Word through which Christ reveals Himself. This can manifest as striving to understand through intellect alone, feeling pressure to apply teachings in our own strength, or measuring growth by knowledge gained rather than by deepened intimacy with Christ. The result is often frustration, stagnation, or even pride in what we think we have achieved.
However, when we yield to Christ as our life, spiritual growth happens as a natural outflow of His life in us. Feasting on the "solid food" of God’s Word means more than just reading and studying; it means receiving truth with a surrendered heart, allowing the Holy Spirit to make it real in our experience. Instead of striving to grasp spiritual realities, we trust that He is leading us into deeper understanding at His pace.
Jesus said, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). This means Scripture is not merely information but nourishment that sustains us as we abide in Christ. Just as physical digestion transforms food into strength without our conscious effort, spiritual truths take root and bear fruit as we trust Christ to reveal Himself through His Word.
When we rest in Christ’s sufficiency, our response to Scripture shifts from “How can I apply this?” to “Lord, I trust You to live this truth through me.” Instead of striving to discern good from evil by our own understanding, we learn to walk by the Spirit, who enables us to recognize and respond to God’s will moment by moment.
Practical Indicators of Yielding vs. Self-Effort in Spiritual Growth:
✅ Yielding to Christ – Scripture becomes relational, deepening intimacy with Him. The Spirit leads understanding, and growth happens organically. There is rest and trust in His work.
❌ Self-Effort – Scripture feels like an obligation or a list of things to master. There is pressure to figure things out and "get it right." Growth feels like a personal burden rather than a work of grace.
So, to feast on solid food while resting in Christ, we must come to God’s Word not as students trying to master concepts, but as children receiving nourishment from our Father, trusting that the Holy Spirit is the One who teaches, transforms, and matures us in His perfect way.