Thanks to Webster one definition of osmosis is "an apparently effortless absorbtion of ideas, feelings, etc."
One of the greatest misconceptions is that spiritual growth in our lives will "just happen" in time. By attending enough services, singing enough songs, listening to enough sermons, participating in enough Bible studies that somehow through a Spiritual Osmosis transformation is destined to happen in our lives and others.
Honestly, who hasn't watched people soak in church for years and years and years with little, if anything, seeming to "absorb" into their life?? What's worse, what about our own lives. How many truthes have I heard time and time again that just don't seem to effortlessly happen in my life! What gives???
Spiritual growth must be intentional. Check out the action words I capitalized in the following scripture from my devotion time this morning...
Prov 2:1-5
1 My son, if you accept my words and STORE up my commands within you,
2 TURNING your ear to wisdom and APPLYING your heart to understanding,
3 and if you CALL out for insight and CRY aloud for understanding,
4 and if you LOOK for it as for silver and SEARCH for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
Although not through Osmosis, God's Word promises that we can all grow spiritually. God has promised to empower us through his Spirit but we must ACTIVELY ENAGAGE in the process. In the New Testament a variety of ACTION words or phrases are used to describe Christ's spritual growth process in our life as well as our responses- being transformed, putting off/putting on, Christ being formed in us, maturing, growing, birthed in us, submitting, humbling, fighting fight of faith, enduring, testing, faith, etc. ALOT OF ACTION WORDS, NO OSMOSIS!
My point? God wants to partner with you and I to mature us into the image of His Son so that we can fulfill His purpose for our lives (Eph. 2:10). Where is God wanting to grow you? It won't happen by accident. Spend some time in prayer, pick an area needing spiritual growth in your life and take some ACTION. Make a decision to grow spritually. Follow the advice of Solomon, purpose in your heart to make spiritual growth a priority...I promise that is one prayer that God is always ready to answer!
Blessings,
Darren
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Hello Pastor Darren, My name is Deidra and after listening to you last Sunday, I have some questions about the Holy Spirit. And I was wondering if you would be able to help me with this issue. You said that the Holy Spirit helps you all the time, well, how so? Like are you talking about making decisions?
ReplyDeleteOk, let me tell you, while on my way to church last Sunday, I was thinking to myself, there are somethings in my life, the person I have become, that I don't want to be anymore and I need help with. Now, I am a Christian, and I have re-committed my life to Christ just here recently in fact. I grew up in an Assembly of God church, so I know about the gift of tongues, but I was under the impression that is as far as the Holy Spirit went. Please help. If you could please e-mail me with some answers that would be most excellent! deidrathire@gmail.com