God does not want us to remain spiritually unchanged. He calls us to grow—to grow in faith, in holiness, in grace, in knowledge, in hope, in love, and in the work of the Lord. The message in the source repeatedly points us toward a life that is not merely surviving, but growing and abounding in Christ.
Growing in the Love of God
The love of God must continually increase in our lives. This love has more than one direction: we are called to love God, love our brethren, and love all people.
Paul prayed that believers would increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all people. God’s love working in us should become visible through the way we treat others.
Ephesians 3:18 speaks of the breadth, length, depth, and height of God’s love. These dimensions give us a beautiful picture of how our love should grow.
The Breadth of God’s Love
The breadth speaks of our love toward our fellow believers. We should grow in a pure love toward one another and demonstrate that love through our lives.
Christian love is not merely something we speak about. It must be demonstrated. As we grow in the breadth of God’s love, our relationships with God’s people should reflect purity, grace, forgiveness, and genuine care.
The Length of God’s Love
The length speaks of extending love toward all people. God’s love should not stop with those who are close to us. It should reach beyond our immediate circle.
When God’s love is displayed through our lives, people can be drawn toward His presence. Our love becomes a testimony of the God whom we serve.
The Depth of God’s Love
The depth of God’s love is revealed through sacrificial love. Jesus demonstrated this love by giving His life for us. He loved us even when we were sinners, enemies, weak, and unrighteous.
A deeper experience of God’s love gives us strength to remain faithful even through loss, suffering, and difficult circumstances. Nothing should be able to separate us from the love of God.
The source illustrates this through the testimony behind the hymn It Is Well with My Soul: even through devastating loss, the writer was not moved away from the love of God. His faith remained anchored in God.
The Height of God’s Love
The height of God’s love points us toward the very presence and throne of God. As we grow in His love, we can continue moving forward even when trials and difficulties come.
No loss, trial, or difficulty should cause us to abandon our faith. God’s love gives us strength to keep pressing forward.
Strengthen Your Stakes: Remain Anchored in Hope
The message also reminds us to strengthen our stakes. A tent needs strong stakes to remain firmly anchored when the wind blows. In the same way, our spiritual lives must be firmly established in the hope of the Gospel.
The Christian hope includes the coming of the Lord, the transformation of our bodies, the glory of God, and the inheritance prepared for God’s people.
Hebrews 6:19 describes this hope as an anchor of the soul—sure and steadfast. Our hope is not based on circumstances. It is anchored in Christ and in the promises of God.
Grow Through the Word of God
Spiritual growth requires the Word of God.
We must receive the Word like sincere milk, but we must also mature enough to receive deeper teaching and stronger spiritual nourishment.
We are also called to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. As our knowledge of Christ increases, we become better equipped to resist the pollution of the world and preserve our spiritual lives.
Growth is therefore not simply knowing more Bible verses. It is allowing the Word of God to transform our understanding, our character, our decisions, and our daily walk with Christ.
Abound in the Work of the Lord
Finally, we are called to abound in the work of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58 teaches believers to be steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Our labor for God is not in vain.
Whatever God has placed in our hands to do, let us do it faithfully. We should not simply begin well—we should continue faithfully until we meet Jesus.
A Prayer for Spiritual Growth
Lord, help me to grow.
Help me to grow in faith, holiness, grace, knowledge, hope, and love. Help me to grow in the breadth, length, depth, and height of Your love.
Teach me to love You, to love my brethren, and to love all people.
Strengthen my hope so that I will not be moved by trials, difficulties, or circumstances. Keep me anchored in Your promises.
Help me to grow through Your Word and through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Keep me from returning to the ways of the world.
And Lord, help me to abound in Your work. Let my life be faithful and fruitful until the day I see You.
I want to grow.
I want to abound.
I want to remain anchored in hope.
I want to reach the goal You have set before me.
May my life continually grow in the love of God and abound in the work of the Lord.
Amen.
