Growing Spiritually (6) - Becoming More Like Jesus Christ

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

[John 14:26, NIV]

Becoming like Jesus Christ is a way of life. It encompasses everything we do including our thinking process. It includes our every waking moment, our culture, our countenance, our relationships, our jobs, everything. Making a conscious effort to behave like Jesus Christ at every one of these times, like ticking off a checklist, could be a bit overwhelming. We would be bound to forget at times. Our human nature will seek to rule at other times, and we could only be left with guilt and depression at the outcome of our self effort.

Jesus characterized a wholesome person. He was tried many times and in different situations, but each time He came out with a character consistent with His core belief - His faith in God. For Him it was His way of life, His very nature.

In John 14:26, Jesus shows an understanding of our human nature, knowing we could not be like Him when our flesh is constantly at war with everything good in us. Jesus offers us help that will enable us be like Him. He gave us the Holy Spirit to be our helper. He will be our counselor, He will be the still small voice who knows what it takes to be like Jesus Christ in every situation. He will teach us and remind us in love everything we have learnt of the character of Christ.

Seeing that the ace in becoming like Jesus Christ is walking with the Holy Spirit, let us embrace Him more and more. If you ask your Loving Father,  you will receive. Ask today that the Holy Spirit will fill you and walk with you daily, that you may attain the height of Christ-like living.

Prayer: My Loving Father, You have understood the challenge of walking like You in the environment I find myself in. I appreciate Your love Lord and ask that You fill me with the Holy Spirit, Your presence that I will be like You in everything I do. I am aware Lord that with Your help I can overcome every human nature that has ruled me. I embrace the Holy Spirit to lead and rule me from now onwards. Let the glory of my life be returned to You in Jesus Name, Amen.

Growing Spiritually (5) - Increasing Your Faith And Trust In God

Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through trial comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of His victory.

[1 Peter 1:7, MSG]

There are many situations in life that can challenge your faith in God. This can happen especially during times of sadness, loneliness, sickness, pain, depression or fear. Your Loving Father does not cause you to suffer, but as ironic as it may seem, in many cases He allows you to go through such situations in life because He knows that they are instruments to help you grow in faith and ultimately grow spiritually. Faith grows as it is exercised.

Faith is more than claiming a biblical promise and asking God to fulfill it. It involves knowing His plan and purpose related to your situation. Everyone is given a measure of faith. You get more faith as you hear the Word of God - not just the word you read or a message you listened to, but a revelation of the word in your spirit.

When those faith-building situations come, realise that it is your faith that God will use as evidence of His victory. Your faith will be evident as you learn to depend on Him, as you trust that He is able to work out your situation, as you hold on to His promises (written and spoken), and believe that He is not trying to hurt you, but wants you to grow from your experience.

Prayer: My Loving Father, thank You for always desiring the best for me. I am amazed at how important my faith is to You. I pray, Loving Father, that I will have the ability to see my experiences as opportunities to grow in faith and grow spiritually. May the Holy Spirit, who is my comforter and helper, help me to grow in my faith in You. May my faith come out proved genuine to Your glory. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Growing Spiritually (4) - Increasing Your Practice Of Christ-like Qualities

For we all make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.

[James 3:2, Revised Standard]

Our Loving Father wants us to be more and more like Him and He understands that it requires daily practice. The way we speak and the things we say have an effect on the outcome of our Christian lives. These words also have an effect on the people around us, whose relationship with us can encourage our walk with God or diminish our efforts.

The tongue is a tiny part of our body but boasts great things. The tongue is not easy to train; it can set our whole life on fire. If we allow the spirit of God to guide us in the area of our words, He will remind us of things to say that will not hurt us or the people who hear us. Speaking positive words to ourselves and encouraging words to others can change the atmosphere around us. It can set the stage for victorious living. On the other hand, negative, hurtful words set the stage for unhealthy emotions and actions.

When we allow the Holy Spirit to train our tongues we are able also to keep our whole body in check, we are able to walk in Christ-like perfection that glorifies our father. If you find this a challenging part of your Christian walk, focus on it as you talk to God and He will give you help to overcome.

Prayer: Dear Loving Father, thank You for reminding me of the importance of words I speak. Holy Spirit of God my helper, please teach me to speak life giving words. Let me be more and more like Christ by the words I speak. I pray that the fruits of my words will glorify You dear Lord in Jesus Name, Amen.