Spirit Growth

God did not give us the gift of the Holy Spirit just as a down payment for our future in heaven. The Holy Spirit isn't given to us just to help us feel better about ourselves or to help us feel strong against spiritual enemies. God gives us His Spirit because God is empowering us to fulfill His Mission.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NIV)

This process of witnessing starts with ourselves. We need to allow God into our lives and then allow God to grow us from the inside out. All of us start out like little babies when we first come home to the Father through the Son and receive the Holy Spirit.

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:2-3 NIV)

The process of growth is helped by other people in Christ's Body: The Church. In the early stages of our growth, we are cared for like a baby and fed what we need to grow stronger and stand on our own. As time goes on, we are not babied by others, but encouraged to continue in our growth. Eventually we become mature followers who get better and better at helping others grow up in their faith as well.

...speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Eph. 4:15-16 NIV)

So, how about you? Have you come home to the Father, through the Son, and received God's Holy Spirit? Do you allow His Spirit to bring about growth in your life? On the scale from baby to mature, where would you place yourself? Do you help others grow up in their faith as well?