Growth!

Recently someone asked me what were some of the things I thought were important to growing and maturing as a Christian. Obviously there are many important things that will help someone grow and mature in Christ. Some of these things may be obvious, some are simple, some are easy and some will rock your world. Yes, I have been saved by God's grace, through my faith in Him, not by anything I've done, but it's His gift to me (Ephesians 2:8). However, I must still walk out my faith, fulfilling the call to be salt and light in a dying world. My response to the question I was asked was simply be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving. It's taken from Ephesians 4:32 which tells us to "be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." Being kind, tenderhearted and forgiving are three things which can go against the grain of our culture. In no way am I saying there's nothing else that should be done to grow, but for me each of these are home runs. If growth and maturity as a believer is your goal, what are you doing to grow? These are things that I can apply daily in my life. For growth to occur they must be applied consistently, regardless of how easy or difficult it may be. I've chosen to grow, have you?