If you've asked Jesus to come into your heart, you've begun a new spiritual life. The Bible says, "If anyone be in Christ, He is a new creation. Old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new!" (The Bible, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
As you embark on this spiritual journey, you will begin to discover God’s love and truth, and learn how to apply it so that you can live a life with more love and peace. It does take effort and giving of yourself, but thankfully, God has provided plenty of instruction to help us find our way.
First, you need to connect with the Source of love, wisdom, and truth, through God's Son, Jesus. Communicate with Jesus and listen to His communication back to you. As you spend time in prayer, read what Jesus has to say in the Bible, and listen to His voice in your heart, He will impart His love to you. It will become part of you. Little by little you will become more like Him. His love will spill out of you onto and into others.
Then as you grow and mature in Jesus' love, His Spirit within you will enable you to fulfill God's two greatest commandments, something humanly impossible, but possible with Him: love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself (The Bible, Matthew 22:37-39).
Second, the Bible compares receiving Jesus into our lives as being spiritually reborn. So as a spiritual "newborn," you will need nourishment in order to grow spiritually. The nourishment you need is God's Word: "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby" (The Bible, 1 Peter 2:2).
Here are some steps you can take to grow spiritually:
- Read the Bible: Start with the story and words of Jesus in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). The Gospel of John in particular has a clear rendition of Jesus' message of love.
- Take a little time daily to stop and get quiet, connect with Jesus, receive His love, and find peace of mind. Get your priorities straight.
- Study articles covering the basic principles for living a Christian life, reading the Bible, prayer, Christian doctrine, sharing your faith with others, and what the Bible has to say about the future in Foundations of Faith.
- Subscribe to Activated --a monthly magazine with a difference that will help you to make a difference. Each issue of Activated includes God's answers to questions and matters that affect your daily life, such as reducing stress, success with people, positive thinking, marriage, and parenting.
- Subscribe for daily resources for spiritual development and Bible study, available on TFI’s community website, TFI Online. Posts, podcasts, and webcasts address topics such as how to establish a personal relationship with God, the fundamentals of His teachings as expressed in the Bible, and how to apply them to everyday life, the basics of Christian faith and doctrine—and much more.
- Share what you gain. Change your world. Start reaching out to others with God's love. Do something each day to help brighten someone else's life. Pray for others. Tell them about your personal spiritual discoveries and show them how they can find love too.
