5 ways to Nurture Spiritual Growth (even while Mothering Littles)

I’ve heard too many mothers lament that the “little years” feel like the “lost years”. Between the often-shifting hormones, sleep deprivation and daily demands it can be too easy to slip into this idea, but we don’t have to and we shouldn’t.

If we believe that God is both sovereign and faithful, then we should believe that each day has been orchestrated by Him for His glory. We can rest in that knowledge as the anchor for each of our days, good or bad. There is not a single season, week or day of your life that is a result of happenstance. You have been sovereignly placed right where you are, and God is working in every moment.

That being said, spiritual growth is not idle or completely passive. Scripture encourages us to “seek after wisdom like hidden treasure” (proverbs 2:4-5), and to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12) Although there are things we can do to help nurture spiritual growth we need to acknowledge that it’s God alone who gives the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7) We'd be completely remiss to believe that we are self-sufficient or able to bring about any growth spiritual growth apart from God. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit enables us to feel conviction of sin and a desire to walk in obedience, we are instructed how to live lives pleasing to God, and then we must choose to respond. So we see two sides of this coin: 1. We are called, redeemed and clothed in righteousness. Given the indwelling Holy Spirit, so that we are able to grow in godliness. 2. We are also admonished that faith without works is dead. (James 2) Our spiritual growth is not an “either/or” but “both/and”. Now that we have that laid out, let’s look at the things we can do to continue bearing fruit and being effective.

1. Be part of a local church body This single point is multifaceted. Our faith is nurtured and grown as we hear the preached word of God. (Romans 10:17) Sitting under solid teaching will bring incredible growth. As we are in community with fellow believers we are blessed by their testimony, encouragement, bearing with one another, and being held accountable. It is within the church that we will find mentors, counselors and friends who can speak directly into our lives. Once saved we are grafted into an eternal family- the church is where we are nourished as the bride of Christ.

2. Be in submission to those placed over you. Namely, your Husband. How, exactly? As to the Lord. This one shouldn't be as controversial or unglamorous as it is in today's culture, but here we are. It's worth stating. You will not continue to bear fruit if you’re marked by a quarrelsome, defiant and contentious spirit. (Have you seen the proverbs?!)Also, by refusing to submit to your husband you’re blaspheming/slandering the word of God. (Titus 2:5) So, there are obvious biblical commands to remain under the submission of your husband, but there are also blessings- particularly if you're in submission to a believing husband who leads like and loves like Jesus. Even if you are not married you are called to submit to the governing authorities over you, so long as they do not cause you to sin.(Romans 13:1) This might be parents, or honoring an employer, ultimately it is submission to GOD and His word. Not only does refusing to submit and honor the authority over us mar our witness, it renders us ineffective and in danger of the destruction brought by pride- all counter to any spiritual growth. We submit to God and surrender our will/desires, in exchange for obedience to His word, so that we may continue to grow!

3. Read the word daily. Do not make this difficult. We are our own worst enemy when it comes to reading the word and this is vital if we are to grow in wisdom and knowledge of God. How can you rightly love someone you don’t know, or obey someone you don’t listen to? If time is short, skip the journaling, skip the concordance, and dive straight into the text. Read it from start to finish just as you’d read a book, not jumping all around. Even if it’s just a few small verses for you to meditate on throughout your day. If in your reading you come across something you don’t understand, pray about it, meditate on it and continue reading. When you get more time, read it in other translations, read it within context of the verses before and after, and then look in a study Bible or commentary. Engaging with the word consistently will bring the depth that facilitates growth. Don’t assume you can only glean from the word if you have a full desk spread with stationary and research.

4. Pray This is a command (Heb. 4:16, 1Thess. 5:16-18 Phil. 4:6-7), and a privilege. If we neglect to pray we have arrogantly assumed that we are self-sufficient. Prayerlessness, is a symptom of sinful pride and a clear indicator of ignorance. If we want to grow spiritually, we obey instruction to pray without ceasing, with thanksgiving, asking for wisdom, and taking all of our cares to God. Rather than being a regimented practice that takes place morning, evening and at meal times our prayers should flow as conversations, praise and petitions throughout the course of our day. When we‘re exhausted, we ask for help to endure and rest. When we’re worried about ”X” rather than grabbing phone we approach the throne of grace first and foremost. Prayer is a duty but also a precious privilege, bought with the blood of Christ, it’s because of His sacrifice that we are free to go directly to the Lord in prayer ourselves, rather than requiring an earthly high priest who could only approach the Holy of Holies maybe once a year at his peril. Use this gift lavishly with thanksgiving!

5. Worship As John Calvin famously stated, the human heart is an idol factory. If we are not intentionally and consistently ordering our affections according to the word of God we will drift off in the current of idolatry. This becomes apparent in where we are spending our time, and our attitudes and behaviors in response. God's word instructs us to worship in “spirit and in truth.” This worship requires our hearts and our minds. When we worship God we are ordering our heart's affections, taking them by the hand and directing them before the throne to behold God. This may be singing songs and hymns in corporate worship, singing praises and prayers at home as we go about our work and serving. When we put our hands to anything, resolving to do it as unto the Lord, our daily lives become a form of worship. Our lives become a living sacrifice of thanksgiving and honor. When we worship in these ways we are ordering our hearts affections, directing our minds in truth and giving feet to our faith.

Praise the God who called us, who seals us with the indwelling Holy Spirit to convict and guide us, so that we would even desire obedience and growth in the first place. Truly, God gives the growth, but in his goodness and grace he also instructs us how we are to love and walk through obedience to his word. When we lay our lives down under his loving care, walking in obedience and “showing our faith by our works”, he is faithfully growing and transforming us day by day. Abide in Him and his care for you each day and I can assure you that little years will be some of the greatest for your spiritual growth.

“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:2-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

-Abbey