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Have you been growing lately as a Christian, I wonder?

Or has your growth stalled for the last few years?

Many Christians that I meet find that, after many years of being a Christian, often serving quite faithfully in many of those years, they find that they have somehow stopped growing. There is no sense of direction or movement or excitement any more in their Christian life. There is no firey zeal as there once was. And instead there is only the average, unexciting existence as a Christian. And so they look back with wistful longing, perhaps with doubt, on their earlier years as a firey Christian.

Or was their past Christian experience really all that great..?

Today I want to suggest that in many cases, they may only have had the appearance of growth all along.

Because when one first becomes a Christian – there is a lot to learn. And so yes, the early years of their Christian life are filled with the joy and the excitement and exhilaration of discovering all the wonderful things in the Bible. And arguing through huge issues such as the sovereignty of God with their friends. Discovering the depth of thought that has gone into the doctrine of the Trinity. Perhaps wrestling with origins of evil. And certainly, seeing the breathtaking clarity of the gospel over against the worldview around them.

And so yes there is a lot of growth – in information – in those early years.

But then some people also get involved in Christian ministry. And begin serving in the Sunday School, or as Bible study leaders. Or perhaps by doing evangelism among their friends. And once they start that, they discover again that there is so much to learn: how to write Bible studies. How to handle the Old Testament properly. How to tell the gospel to someone. How to answer tricky questions. How to use the photocopier and organise a team and run a camp and give a talk and choose leaders. And that whole adventure of ministry – and learning the skills of ministry – is very exciting. Suddenly they see how they can play a part in encouraging others, leading another person to Christ, even being part of the leadership team.

And so yes, again there is a lot of growth – in skills – that comes after those early years.

And I suppose that after a while, people could find themselves advancing even further in learning, opening up greater heights of theological study. No longer are they learning words like: Trinity, eschatology, perspicuity. Now they are learning to use words like: Tridentine, proleptic, perichoresis!

And in terms of skills, one could similarly push oneself to recapture that sense of growth, that sense of movement as a Christian, by learning the arcane skills of preaching, or the politics of being on a church committee.

However far they go, inevitably, most of these Christians will get the sense that things are not quite right. They will get the sense that things have plataeued off. And they no longer have the sense of growth and progress in the Christian life that they once had.

I want to say that for many of these Christians the problem is that for many years they have only had the false appearance of growth. They thought they were growing all those years – but really, that was only the excitement of learning about theology. And for some, the learning of ministry skills.

Growth in information – yes. Growth in skills – sure.

But not true growth as a Christian.

Because true growth as a Christian is growing to love God more. And growing to fear him more. Longing for his return more. Growing to hate sin more. Growing more zealous to do good works… this is true growth as a Christian!

Realistically, there is only so much you can learn in terms of information, or in terms of skill. And after that…what? But in terms of our love for God, our fear of him – this what we are created to grow in, for the rest of our lives, and on into eternity as, with new eyes, we behold his unveiled glory.

And so for many Christians, they may have thought they were growing as a Christian – when in fact for many years they had substituted true growth, for growth merely in information. Or in skills.

In fact I have met people who have progressed so far and so high in Christian leadership and ministry that they are now one of the key leaders at their church. They are respected leaders. But when you ask them careful questions – you may discover that they know nothing about the love of God. They do not fear him. And, despite all they have attained – their position, their respect, their qualifications even – you wonder if they really are Christians in the first place.

And so, if you wonder why you’ve stopped growing. Perhaps you might want to consider whether you have really grown at all in the things that really matter.

Or whether, for all these years, your growth has only ever been in information. And skills.