Although the Holy Spirit is the great agent of change in a believer's life, a follower of Christ is partly responsible for making sure that he is maturing and growing in grace. There are several exterior indicators in a believer's life which signify he is growing in his walk with Christ.
One indicator is a person's faith in God. All of God's followers begin their journey with him by taking a step of faith and believing in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and trusting him as Savior. But over time, as a believer grows in his relationship with Christ, his faith in God should be increasing as well. This can be seen in a believer's willingness to take risks for God. The purpose is not take risks for risks' sake, but to take risks if called by God to do so and out of obedience to him.
Another indicator of a believer's growth in grace can be seen by a willingness to accept insecurity in life. Many people are stuck in lives that are full of insecurity. They never know what the next day may bring. Will there be more bad news, more disappointment, more heartache? Will there be a paycheck, or money, or even a meal?
But there are people who choose to live with insecurity out of obedience to God. To the outside observer, a believer's decision to choose insecurity over security may appear to be foolish or thoughtless. But for the Christian determined to follow God, a willingness to give up something which would otherwise make him feel safe and secure is an indicator that he is growing his walk with God. The Christian that chooses a life of insecurity is really in the most secure position of all, and that is the center of God's will.
Comments
Great article! I agree about taking risks...if we love Jesus, we have to be like Peter and step over the side of the boat and try to walk on water! We can be like the other 11 disciples and stay in the boat, but we can also be like Peter and walk on water!
Praise be to Jesus Christ our Lord, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
Pax In Domino.
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