Made to Grow

By Samantha Rodriguez

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer”—Acts 2:42 (CSB)

Think about some of your family traditions. What unites your family? What characterizes them? I know that for me it is our frequent get togethers where we celebrate a birthday or a holiday . . . and boy, do we have a lot of birthdays. My dad has two sisters and one brother, in addition to three close cousins and many other half-siblings, most of whom have children. It’s an understatement to say that our reunions are just big; they’re filled with laughter, smiles, entertainment, love, memories, and so much fun. We always eat and laugh, tell stories and eat again, and then dance and play games so that we can make room for dessert. 

Our families often act as a source of happiness, love, and belonging in our lives. This blessing of family does not end with genetics, though.

God did not leave us alone in our pursuit of Him, He created the Church to be a family of followers who can help each other grow closer to Him. We discussed the role and importance of the church yesterday, but today we will look at how we should exercise certain spiritual disciplines in order to grow as Christians and as a body of believers. Just like my family holds regular get togethers to grow with one another as we go through life, we should be engaging in daily prayer and Bible reading, consistent fellowship, regular communion, and continual thanksgiving in order to grow closer to the Lord and deepen our spiritual understanding. 

The Book of Acts documents about 30 years worth of the early Church’s history, and throughout the entire book, we see the Lord bless them and grow their numbers and knowledge as a result of their devotion to Him. They made habits of gathering together to break bread, which refers to taking communion, and to hear from the apostles’ teaching since many of them could not read and the Gospels had not been printed yet. We see them pray for each other, encourage one another, praise God together, and share the gospel with others. Not only that, but many of them also accepted rebuke and correction from one another with a grateful heart. All of these habits are spiritual disciplines which we should be practicing in our own lives, both individually and together as a church community. 

Just like the early Church, we too can, and should, be just as devoted to the Lord in exercising these important spiritual habits. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a set of rules we need to follow; rather, it should be our natural response to the salvation and redemption Christ freely offered us! A desire to know Him more and to make His name known to others.

DIG: Many of us can easily fall into the trap of thinking about Christianity and “spiritual disciplines” as a set of rules that must be followed in order to be saved, but it’s not like that at all. We are saved by grace through faith, so why are spiritual disciplines important? Take time today to see what God’s Word says about it. Dig into James 2:14–26 and Romans 5–8.

DISCOVER: Where might you be lacking in spiritual disciplines? Whatever it may be, whether reading the Bible or praying or thanking God, do it today and make it a goal for you to do every day this week.

DO: Next time you listen to a message at church or online, take notes. Read them throughout the rest of the week to remind yourself of what God showed you and to guide you in your personal time with the Lord.