The following are signs of that growth.

 

1.) You will want to spend more time alone with God Find a favorite spot to pray and enjoy solitude with God

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2.) You will have an increasing awareness of any sinfulness We all are sinners. Before salvation we wallow in sin and stay there. After salvation when we sin it makes us very uneasy and sad. We will run from it rather than to it. In other words, we will repent.

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3.) Your response to sin is quick and involves genuine repentance.

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4.) Jesus’ first words in His public ministry were “. . . repent ye, and believe the Gospel.” To repent is a change of heart and mind in what you want to do. When you repent, there is visible change in your life. You will still struggle, but now you have Jesus to help you through.

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5.) Your spiritual battles will become more intense The enemy has lost one of his and will intensify the battle to win you back, but you have the power to resist through the Holy Spirit.

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6.) You will experience an ever increasing awareness of His presence.

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7.) You will begin to have trials and temptations and you will see them as signs of spiritual growth. See number five.

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8.) You will feel God’s love. It is amazing.

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9.) You will view service to God as a high honor and not a burden. Remember the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13:1-17? The Creator of the Universe and Judge of all took upon the task of the lowliest slave to teach us about serving others.

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10.) You will desire to give more and more of your time and finances. You will usually never feel closer to God then when you are serving Him.

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11.) You will become more eager to share Jesus Christ This is so important we have dedicated an entire Core Principle to sharing Jesus with others.

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12.) You will want to spend more time fellowshipping with other believers. You will want to be around those that help you grow and around those that you can help grow.

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13.) You desire to obey Him more and sin becomes less attractive. The closer you grow to God and the more you obey Him and abide in His word, the more readily prayer will be answered.

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14.) You have a growing concern for the lost around the world. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the WORLD, not just the Jewish people or Americans or Cubs fans. If God so loved the world, so will you.

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15.) You are willing to suffer for Him. You will see your trials as a sign of growth and a badge of honor.

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16.) You are willing to give everything over to Him. Once you give God complete control and realize that everything you “have” is because God is letting you use it, you will be amazed at how He will take care of you. Everything belongs to Him and we will take nothing with us when our time comes.

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17.) You will be making better choices in everything. Take everything to God in prayer.

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18.) You ask Him for guidance in everything. See above.

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19.) You start influencing others, both believers and non-believers. Non-believers may not read the Bible, but they will read the Christian.

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20.) You will have improved relationships. Prayer with your spouse, children and friends (even strangers) brings you closer together and closer to God.

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21.) Your heart will ache for the lost. The thought of someone dying in their sins will make you sick and do all you can to save them. Again, that is why a separate Core Principle is devoted to sharing Jesus Christ with others.

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22.) You will become selfless. Once you realize everything belongs to God, you will give more freely of everything including your time.

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23.) You will crave His word. You will read, memorize, and study it. The more you study God’s word the more real it will become. The more you will realize you are reading history and of things to come.

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24.) You find yourself praying more and more throughout the day. Prayer is how we talk to God. The more you talk to God, the more you will grow in your relationship with Him.

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25.) Your priorities start to change.

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Some of these signs of growth may take some time, others you may notice almost immediately. Either way, growth is intentional and takes effort on our parts. You may go through periods of time where you don’t spend much time on some of these items listed here and in Core Principle Number Five. That is okay. The Holy Spirit will help you get back on track. Remember, God knows none of us are perfect, but He does expect us to grow.