The Struggles of Spiritual Growth

There was a great post by Richard Maffeo about maturing in a relationship with Jesus.  He writes about the work he has put into developing that relationship: reading the Bible in the morning and at night, an hour of prayer every day, frequently acknowledging his sins and repenting.

It’s certainly a routine all Christians would admire.  Yet piety, like most virtues, is  easily admired but hard to acquire.  Sure everyone would like to have a great prayer life, but think of all the work and effort it will take!  Think of all the discipline that will be required to sit and pray when you don’t feel like, or when you don’t seem to be “getting anything out of it” or worse, when your favorite TV show is on!

God is always waiting, ready to transform our lives and our relationships with Him, but He needs a willing partner.  He’ll help us, but He  won’t just  do it for us.  We have to decide it’s important enough to put in the effort and do the work.

And perhaps after 9 or 10 hours in the office the last thing you want to think about is more “work”.  Or getting up 30 minutes early to pray when you’re already sleep deprived.  Or, perish the thought,  cutting short your precious time with your newspaper, computer, or television even though you earned that relaxation time.  But that’s how virtues are developed, when we overcome our natural inclinations and put God first.

Whatever aspect of your spiritual life you want to improve, It’s just a matter of giving it priority and being willing to make those small, daily sacrifices.  And if I may borrow Home Depot’s slogan: you can do it, He can help!

Other Links to this Post

1. Making Time for Prayer — October 15, 2010 @ 9:49 pm