If you’ve asked Jesus to come into your heart, you’ve begun a new spiritual life. The Bible says, “If anyone be in Christ, He is a new creation. Old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new!” (The Bible, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
As you embark on this spiritual journey, you will begin to discover God’s love and truth, and learn how to apply it so that you can live a life with more love and peace. It’s not complicated. Thankfully, God has provided plenty of instruction to help us find our way.
First, you need to connect with the Source of love, wisdom, and truth, through God’s Son, Jesus. Communicate with Jesus and listen to His communication back to you. As you spend time in prayer, read what Jesus has to say, and listen to His voice in your heart, He will impart His love to you. It will become part of you. Little by little you will become more like Him. You’ll become more loving. His love will spill out of you onto and into others.
Then as you grow and mature in Jesus’ love, His Spirit within you will enable you to fulfill God’s two greatest commandments, something humanly impossible, but possible with Him: love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself (The Bible, Matthew 22:37-39).
Second, the Bible compares receiving Jesus into our lives as being spiritually reborn. So as a spiritual “newborn,” you will need nourishment in order to grow spiritually. The nourishment you need is God’s Word: “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby” (The Bible, 1 Peter 2:2).
Here are some steps you can take to grow spiritually:
• Read the Bible: Start with the story and words of Jesus in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). The Gospel of John in particular has the simplest and clearest rendition of Jesus’ message of love.
• Receive the Holy Spirit
• Take a little time daily to stop and get quiet, connect with Jesus, receive His love, and find peace of mind. Get your priorities straight.
• Share what you gain. Change your world. Start reaching out to others with God’s love. Do something each day to help brighten someone else’s life. Pray for others. Tell them about your personal spiritual discoveries and show them how they can find love too.