Newly converted Christians are called "babies" those who depend on their Father for spiritual growth. The more time they spend with God, the more they become like Him. And the ways we can do this are familiar:
- Worship: The highest honor we have in God's kingdom is the worship of the Father. Through praise and worship, we draw closer to God, learning about His holiness and, in turn, growing in holiness. This discipline is perhaps the most important way to develop character, because we sacrifice ourselves as we are in order to worship Him as He is. As we die to our own interests, we open ourselves to His life-changing power.
- Prayer: Daily prayer includes both speaking and listening. Prayer is not primarily the fulfillment of asking for what we want, but asking for what God wants. As we learn more about His will for our lives, we grow in His character and holiness.
And we learn that we can trust God. I think the biggest lesson my wife and I learned in the months that God called us to intercede more actively was that God hears and answers our prayers, no matter how sluggish, upset, or unspiritual we feel when we pray.
- Study of the Scriptures: The Bible is the word of God: It talks about who God is, how he works, what he expects of us. As we grow in knowledge of the Bible, we grow in knowledge of God - and more and more we are transformed into his likeness. Our goal is not just to memorize Scripture or understand it intellectually (although this is also useful), but to change because of it. God's word is alive and well. If we obey it internally, it makes external changes.
- Social life (Life in fellowship): To be a Christian means to take part in the gathering of believers, brothers and sisters in the new covenant. When we worship, pray, study Scripture together, and have fellowship with one another, God not only reveals himself more and more to us, but “iron sharpens iron,” and God uses others to mature us.
We were not called by God to fly on our own. We have been called to social life. We were called to grow and develop in each other and with each other.
