“Growing in Christ”

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

My girlfriend is a fairly new christian. She is wonderful!!! How can I encourage her to pray more often and think more on godly things without pressuring her and pushing her away? It seems that I am always the one who is bringing those things up, and I don't want to force things on her.

Sincerely, Forcefully Concerned

Dear Forcefully Concerned,

Gentle patience is the key to helping her grow. Paul told the young Thessalonian church that he was as patient and gentle as a mother (1 Thess 2:7-8). Don’t expect her to know everything right away- nor to remember everything the first time she learns it. Christianity is a huge change in someone’s life, and everyone grows in different areas and at different paces. Kindness and brotherly love will work wonders in helping her grow (Rom 12:10). Make sure you remain a humble servant and not a condescending overlord (1 Pet 5:5)

After you have mentally prepared, make some consistent opportunities to talk about spiritual things. The church is told that consistency is a large part of what makes healthy christians (Heb. 10:24-25). Regular involvement in praying together, going to services together, etc. provides opportunity for dialogue. She needs to be taking Bible classes (so do you!), and committing to take some classes together will help her grow without placing undo pressure on her. Christian growth isn’t about speed… but endurance. Babies grow slowly and steadily; if they grew fast, it would be unhealthy! Talk to her about taking some useful ‘beginner’ Bible classes together, and she will start to grow from the milk of the Word (1 Pet 2:2).

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