Free Discipleship Resources

You may wonder what is meant by spiritual development and why it is important.  I had to ask myself this same question.



I love teaching people God’s word, but I had to stop and ask myself – for what purpose. Am I teaching people God’s word for the sake of teaching,  and for people to acquire a lot of knowledge about God or is it because my desire is to see people grow and develop in their spiritual lives. After giving this much thought, I am sure that my purpose in teaching and praying with people is because my desire is to see them grow and develop spiritually. I further believe that if one is growing and developing spiritually, it will affect the other areas of their lives. God created us as three part beings, spirit, soul and body. It was God’s intent that our spirit would inform our body and soul.  When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden through disobedience to God’s word, it affected their connection to God, but also affected their physical circumstances. They had a wonderful garden created for them to live in but because they violated their spiritual connection to God, they also lost their dwelling place.

God breathed the breath of life into His creation and man became a living soul. The original order was spirit, soul and body.  Adam and Eve’s sin changed the order and the soul (will, emotions & intellect) elevated to the top.  Although, many people have received Jesus as Lord of their lives, there is much to say about how spiritually developed they are.  What I propose is that we begin thinking about how to develop spiritually and it begins with a plan.

A plan is necessary so that one will know whether or not they are successful.  Just because you are attending church and going to Bible study doesn’t mean that it is changing your life.  If you don’t put what you learn into practice then what is it for.  To put this in practical terms, if you are short tempered or consistently late in paying your bills, or consistently late for work as your relationship with God grows and you understand more about His character your life should likewise be affected.  When you write your plan you would should be specific and include areas that you want to see developed and fine tuned in your life. 

George Barna said that most believers say their faith matters, but they don’t invest in their own growth and development.  As individuals, we must decide and then act on a plan of action to grow and develop spiritually. 

How is your prayer life? Do you talk about prayer or do you have a strong prayer life?  What do you do to make sure that you avoid burnout? How do you restore your soul and keep your mind alert? How do you balance your life so that distractions don’t crowd out God’s voice?  What is your plan to develop your spiritual life so that it is integrated into your total being?   

The book “Establishing and Building upon a Solid and Firm Foundation” is available to assist you on this journey.