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How to Grow Your Spiritual Life – By Father Andrew Bahhi

June 19, 2022
in Feature Articles, The Word
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This hour and a half that we spend in the church each Sunday is the key or the beginning to be an important spiritual journey with our savior. As in the parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-15), we only plant the seed of life in each one of us. But in order for the seed to grow, we determine if it will grow or die.

That’s why this parable is very important, especially since this Sunday is the first one after the Pentecost. We believe the Holy Spirit is upon the church, as the light. And if we don’t have this light in all of us, we will never grow spiritually.

That’s why coming to the church is important, but it is only the beginning. The Lord told this story about the sower, and the different types of wheat on the ground.

Some seed falls on the path (wayside) with no soil, some on rocky ground with little soil, some on soil which contains thorns, and some on good soil.

Likewise, we are all people. God created us all in his image and likeness. And we all have the ability for spiritual growth. But it is more. God built in us to grow in every aspect.

We are encouraged in our lives, as students, professionals, athletes, artists, even in social media, we are all living with desire to grow. God also put in the desire for spiritual growth.

But, unlike other areas, our spiritual growth is tested by evil acts in our life by the evil one. He does not want us to be like Jesus because the kingdom of God will increase. So, this is not something we just choose, but it is essential.

You cannot say I just will do it during Easter, or Christmas, or during the Fast of the Virgin Mary, or any other holy season. Spiritual growth is mandatory for our salvation in all seasons.

The seed grows on every kind of ground, but each seed determines how to grow, based on the environment around of it. God has sown His world, in every place. But do we want it to grow?

There are too many things that prevent us not to grow spiritually, and we must avoid them.

  1. Doubt in the faith. Especially in hard times, our faith becomes unstable. We wonder “where is He when I need him?” when we don’t realize there is a time for every single thing in our life.
  2. When we are careless in our spiritual life. When I pray only for the sake of praying, or when I read the Bible to prevent something bad from happening to me, or I fast because it makes me healthy. So, when I forget to practice my spiritual acts like praying, reading the Bible, coming to church, taking communion – without all my heart – this is preventing my spiritual growth.
  3. Our relationships with each other. I have to be able to love everyone and forgive everyone.
  4. Hidden sins. If I do something bad and cannot give it up, or I want to keep it in my life sometimes, this prevents spiritual growth.

We need to know every bad thing, bad habit, will stop our spiritual growth.

The seed is the same seed because it has life and is in each one of us. But we each choose the ground, so we must choose to be the good ground. When we stop to grow spiritually, we change the pattern and kind of our heart and mind. So, when the seed of God comes, it will die instead of grow.

If you don’t see spiritual growth in your life, that is because you are following your earthly desires rather than holy desires God has put in you. Do you really care you want fruit in your spiritual life? Our life here is very limited and short and where we are here will determine how we spend our eternity.

Do you see how the Lord is calling you today? When the Lord implants the seed in your heart, you will accept it with a very repentant heart, very strong faith, belief, and these words will grow in your life.

I pray that God blesses all of you and all the people of God, so we can become the true and real image of God.

Learn more in Father Andrew’s Sunday sermon here.

 

Hymns for the Eighth Sunday After Easter

 

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