The Stages of Your Spiritual Walk (Part 1)
Reflections from the book “The Stages of Your Spiritual Walk”
There are three stages to our Christian walk in Christ Jesus. There is the first stage in which we decided to turn our lives over to the Lord; I refer to this as the infant stage. Then there is the second stage in which the Lord begins to shape us in to what He has ordained us to be; this I refer to as the juvenile (immature) stage. Now you come to the final stage, the stage of maturity, Adulthood; this is when God is able to use us for the up building of the kingdom of God.
The way God uses us is not in the same manner as the world would, when we mature in an area of our lives God will use us in that area. For example, say you have become mature in your giving God will begin to use you in the area of giving, even if in the area of loving you have not fully matured yet. The world’s way is to wait until you mature in everything before you are used. What a great lost. . .
In this teaching I will talk about the importance of the first stage of your Christian walk. For some of you, you’ve long passed the first stage; but you’re finding it difficult in the second stage. (I will discuss the second stage in Part 2) Use this concept as a guide to help you understand what you have been lacking up to this point. As for those of you who have just surrendered your lives or to those who have been converted longer, use this teaching to insure yourself you are starting or have started off with the right idea. It is very important that you get a clear understanding of this stage. Poor preparation will either make you or brake you in your spiritual walk. This is one of the most crucial stages of your walk.
Why . . . .
1 because this stage sets the motion for the extent of difficult you will have during your spiritual walk. (Lets face it we all want our walk to be a long one in Christ with as little difficulty as possible.)
2 because we tend to have our focus of expectations in the wrong place; this becomes the most misunderstood of the three stages.
3 because much emphasis is taught on what we will receive from the Lord (i.e. His love, grace, mercy, peace etc.) but little to no teaching’s shared on what the Lord expects of us as new converts. We tend to get that teaching in the second stage; but that is not a good place to start.
The first stage is your time for preparation; you should be getting spiritually prepare for the next stage of your walk. In the next stage the Lord will began to make and mold you into what He has ordained you to be. The next stage will be full of trial, tests, and retests. You may find yourself taking more retest then the original test. (Smile) Example: You may have trouble with your temper; something happens and you fly off the handle; look for the area of your temper to be tested again. It may be weeks or months up the road but your temper will be tested.
How do you get prepared? By learning the word of God? In John 14:26 Christ told the disciples the Father was sending back the Holy Spirit in His name and it would teach them all things and bring all things taught by Him back to their remembrance.
John 14:26 (KJV)
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
That very same Holy Spirit will bring your teaching back to your remembrance. What you must do is make sure teaching is in your heart and mind. At this stage of the game (First Stage) a lot of your teaching will not make sense. And you will probable challenge 80% of your teaching because you will think you have a better way; the teaching is old fashion; you can pick which teaching you want to follow; you will even think you know what’s best for you; and the list goes on and on. But when all is said and done you will need the proper teaching to come back to; that teaching is the word of God. But again, you must have teaching for the Holy Spirit to bring back to your remembrance. The Christian walk resembles a child getting ready for school. Before a preschooler enters into school hopefully the parent(s) is teaching the child his ABCs, numbers, colors, shapes, his name, his parent(s) and sibling(s) names. Hopefully the preschooler is being taught how to react to the unkind things children do to one another (adversity).
The child doesn’t understand at this point how these teachings will come into play for his life; all he has known up to now is the care free side of life. He does not find out until he enters into school. Now that he is in school he has to start applying the things he has already been taught by his parent(s). Why, because the teacher will start asking him questions to see what he knows and don’t know (kindergarten). As he goes high in school he learns more and is tested to be sure he knows what he has learned before moving up higher. This is what our second stage experience is all about. Proving you’ve learned what you were taught. In order to say we have learned . . . we must be able to apply the teaching we’ve received through the word of God in our lives everyday. The teaching process never ends; God is always sharing new revelations. This is why the learning process should start before you began to have the various tests, trials, situations, circumstances and ordeals thrown at you by the enemy. (Here’s a little food for thought: During a test is the wrong time to learn the subject you are being tested in.)
Most of all don’t get so wrapped up in how good things are going in the very beginning that you forget the rough times are coming also. I say this because in the beginning God lets us taste of His goodness with out opposition. He’s pleased with the decision we’ve made to surrender our lives and except Jesus as our Lord. But that is not were it stops, that is just the beginning. Paul left instructions in 2 Timothy:
2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Applying the word of God at the right time is very important. There is so much to learn; from learning your new ways and behavior as a new creature to teaching what you have learned to other Christians. You have to learn how to talk over, how to spiritually walk, and in some cases how to walk in the natural. (Smile) You have to learn how to lean on the Lord, how to trust Him, how to turn to Him in time of trouble and not lean on your old ways and understandings. AND you have to learn to trust, rely, depend and lean on Him when things are going just great. It sounds like a lot but the more prepared you are the easier the tests are to pass. Many Christians live and die and never get pass the second stage of their walk. Do they make it into heaven; yes if they lived according to God’s instructions. Did they find their spiritual walk to be extremely hard; yes they did because they did not truly understand what was going on in their lives.
They remembered their first experience with Christ as a turn for the better, everything was going along good but then things began to change. The change was God sculpting them for His use. Because they did not know it was God it caused them to put up a lot of resistance. Jesus phrased it this way when He spoke to Saul on the road to Damascus.
Acts 9:4, 5 (KJV)
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
In the Amplified Bible it says:
Acts 9:4, 5
4And he fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me [harassing, troubling, and molesting Me]?
5And Saul said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. It is dangerous and it will turn out badly for you to keep kicking against the goad [to offer vain and perilous resistance].
We make it very hard for ourselves when we resist or as the bible says contend with God. Where the word reports God as victorious; that even means when He is challenged by us. He can never be beaten. Keep these points in mind:
1. God is always right whether we understand or not.
2. God is always looking out the best interest of His children. (No matter how things appear to be.)
3. He never gives us the whole picture all at once. So don’t run with the vision or instruction without Him.
4. Pray for understanding when things are not clear to you.
5. God always prepare us with what we need before a test or trial. So keep your eyes and ears open. . . . .
6. No matter what you find yourself up against God has already prepared a way of escape; you will find it in the map; God’s word.
To put all hearts and minds at ease with this teaching the first stage for the disciples was when Christ walked with them. Overall things were going well Christ was with them. But while He was with them He taught them the things they needed to know; He knew there were going to be some changes. He used the word of God to prepare them before the change; He knew the change would begin when He would be taken away from them. Although their time of testing was not long, one denied Him and another doubted His return. The key point is He taught them. This was when they were to use what He taught them . . . . . this was their opportunity to stand their ground. No, they did not understand everything He taught, and I am sure they had their doubts. But for those who kept His teachings at heart they were comforted during this very challenging time.
John 8:25-27 (KJV)
25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
