What's Your Next Step

Charlie Brown is at bat and strikes out again. As he trudges back to the bench, he laments: “Rats! I’ll never be a big-league player. I just don’t have it! All my life I’ve dreamed of playing in the big leagues, but I know I’ll never make it.”

Lucy turns to console him: “Charlie Brown, you’re thinking too far ahead. What you need to do is set some more immediate goals.”

He looks up and asks, “Immediate goals?”

Lucy says, “Yes. Start with this next inning when you go out to pitch. See if you can walk out to the mound without falling down!”

Do you ever feel like that spiritually? Many of us wonder if we’ll ever be in the “big leagues” with our Christian faith. But it’s overwhelming to think that we might have to read the whole Bible or go to Africa or something way out of our comfort zone. So therefore we become spiritually stalled to even take a small step in our growing with God.

If you ever feel like you’re spiritually stalled, you’re not alone. Many people feel like this. Either they’ve gotten comfortable with where they are in their walk with Christ or they don’t know what their next step should be.

A complaint I hear about the church sometimes (the church in general, not specifically about Spring of Life) is that it isn’t challenging enough. The church just wants people to feel good about themselves, live happy lives, and doesn’t challenge people to act or think any differently than the rest of the world.

I hope at Spring of Life we are challenging you to get out of your spiritually-stalled-stage. Don’t be afraid to take the next step that you feel like the Holy Spirit is calling you to take. I was reminded this week in some reading that Jesus didn’t say “think about me for a while,” instead he said “follow me.” If you’re stuck in the thinking stage, take the next step in growing in God by taking some action to follow God. Be intentional. Spiritual growth is intentional, not automatic.

Have you ever looked at a mature believer and wished you could be like him or her? Wouldn’t it be great to know the Bible and know how to pray and be able to lead people to Christ and exhibit joy and peace and goodness and knowledge and self-control and perseverance and godliness and kindness and love? Most of us want instant growth, forgetting that what is behind a godly life is a person who has gone through struggles and trials. Spiritual development only comes through practicing spiritual disciplines like time in the Word, prayer, fellowship, sacrificing, giving, and serving.

There are two truths to balance as you ponder taking the next step.

1. God is committed to our growth. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” God is committed to our growth because He’s the one who planted us. Isaiah 60:21: “They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.” When we grow we show God’s splendor to others.
   


2. We must take responsibility for our growth. Check out 2 Peter 3:18: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ…” 1 Peter 2:2: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” Paul reminded his readers in 2 Corinthians 10:15 that when they grow, the scope of the gospel grows as well: “Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand.” And Paul applauded the Thessalonians for not being stalled spiritually in 2 Thessalonians 1:3: “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.”

It’s not all up to God and it’s not all up to us. God has designed it so that we work in partnership with God. Philippians 2:12-13 captures our part and God’s part very clearly: “…Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling [that’s our part] for it is God who works in you [that’s God’s part] to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

What’s your next step?