Before the Flood of Noah’s day, the Bible tells us that mankind (except Noah and his family) had completely corrupted themselves. All their thoughts were only evil continually (Gen. 6:5). Because of it, God wanted to start over.

The above verse in the Psalms reveals that the heart of most people has not changed since then. Many people still do not seek after God. Unfortunately, many Christians do not much, either.

Prayer has become foreign to many believers, so is going to church, and reading the Bible. Witnessing, for many, is out of the question.

The result is that there is not much difference between some professing believers and the unsaved. The cause of not seeking God – pride! It is the same sin that caused Satan to fall from glory. They have become self-sufficient – so they think.

Christian, do you seek after God? Do you feel a need for Him and His blessing in your life? Or, have you become like the wicked – who never seek after or give much thought to God in your day (which He graciously gave you)?

God still blesses those who think on Him often and seek to do His will. If you are saved, why not put yourself on the side of the righteous and give up the way of the wicked before He must chasten? You can start by confessing sin to Him and spending time in the Word every day – and doing what you learn.

Christian growth is much more than meeting a mere checklist of things that you do not do. As the passage above shows, many religious people in a wide range of religions are outwardly moral – but morality and religion do not make someone pleasing to God.

The Apostle Paul takes this note one step further and reveals that true spiritual growth is not to be based on what you can do or know. He said in Galatians 3:3 that: “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Remember that these were believers. They were saved by faith – but they mistakenly came to believe that spiritual growth was perfected by things that the flesh can accomplish.

The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable above thought he had arrived spiritually and that God would accept Him. He was self-made and had no need. On the other hand, the publican (a hated tax collector that worked for the Roman government) had no “credits” but only had a need – which God graciously met.

Similarly, no matter how much Christian growth you have experienced since you became a believer, you will always have need to depend on the Holy Spirit to work through you. It will always remain true what Jesus told the disciples: “without me ye can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5).

Like Paul, we must be careful to say: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended” (Php. 3:13), or reached perfection. The minute that pride enters the picture – that is the very moment that God ceases to use you or me. Again, like Paul, we must “count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Php. 3:8).

In the Bible, God’s greatest servants were nobodies! Growing spiritually means to let Him use you in all things and at all times so that His will is accomplished through you so that He can get all the glory! We are just vessels for Him to fill and use as He desires. He will give you all the strength you need to serve Him!