When I read Proverbs 31, I often feel intimidated by the “woman of noble character” described there. How can I possibly measure up to all the success she showcases?
But I have to remind myself—she didn’t become a woman rooted and established in God’s love overnight. Her journey happened one step at a time, just as we learn to know, live, and share God’s Word.
I’m a Christian woman, but it’s taken me years to fully embrace that identity and calling. I had so much to learn when I first began reading and studying the Bible! Looking back, I can see how much I’ve grown, and am so grateful.
Spiritual growth doesn’t happen instantly. It’s a process that requires intentionality and time. No matter where you are in your journey, I pray you find encouragement, inspiration, and motivation to keep growing in God’s Word.
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love…” — Ephesians 3:17
Spiritual Growth Takes Time
Just like children learning to walk, spiritual growth requires patience, practice, and perseverance.
When my sons were little, watching them learn to walk was excruciating and joyful! At first, they held my hands, unsteadily placing one foot in front of the other, giggling as they discovered a whole new way to experience their world.
Eventually, they stood near a chair or couch, looking toward where they wanted to go. At first, they crawled, but before long, they took those hesitant, wobbly steps forward. I wanted to catch them every time they stumbled, but I knew they needed to develop balance and coordination and the way to do this is to let them fall. As I watched them realize what they were capable of—even when they were afraid—was priceless.
In the same way, spiritual growth is a process. It takes time, discipline, and patience. But trust me, you will grow when you follow these three steps: Know, Live, and Share God’s Word.
Step One: Know God’s Word
It’s one thing to know about God. It’s another thing to know His heart.
We come to know God’s heart by spending time with Him—through Bible reading, study, prayer, Scripture memorization, and both personal and corporate worship.
When God revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7, He described His character:
“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished…”
God is holy, holy, holy (Isaiah 6:3). He is not just a little better than us—He is completely set apart. So how can we, as imperfect people, have a relationship with Him?
The answer is Jesus. Through His sacrifice, we can know God personally. Jesus is the Living Word of God (John 1), and when we place our faith in Him, we are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). Knowing God’s Word is how we love Him in return.
“…to know this love that surpasses knowledge.” — Ephesians 3:19
When we experience the love of God that surpasses human understanding, knowing His Word becomes a joy.
Step Two: Live God’s Word
Just as a toddler learns to walk by practicing, we grow spiritually by living out what we learn in Scripture.
The apostle Paul teaches in Ephesians how to walk as imitators of Christ. But how do we become rooted and established in love?
First, relationships thrive when we invest time and attention in them. Likewise, our relationship with God deepens as we spend time in His Word and in prayer. Reading the Bible or a devotional is great—but transformation happens when we allow God to change us through what we learn.
How does this transformation happen?
- Prayer must accompany Bible reading. When we pray over what we read, God reveals how to apply His Word to our daily lives.
- Our minds are renewed (Romans 12:2). As we absorb Scripture, God reshapes our thoughts, attitudes, and emotions.
- We begin to bear fruit. The overflow of a transformed heart is the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
- We discover our purpose. As we grow, we recognize our spiritual gifts and find meaningful ways to serve (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4).
When we live out God’s Word, we naturally move into the next step—sharing it with others.
Step Three: Share God’s Word
“I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” — Ephesians 3:16
As we grow spiritually, our perspective shifts. We begin to see others through God’s eyes and love them as Jesus does.
Sharing our faith isn’t about obligation or awkward conversations—it’s about letting our transformed lives speak for themselves. When we live according to God’s Word, sharing it with others becomes a natural outpouring of our faith.
One of the simplest ways to share your faith is through your personal God story—a testimony of how He has worked in your life. (See also How to Share Your Three-Minute God Story.)
When our identity is firmly rooted in Christ, we no longer worry about what others think. Instead, we focus on how we can serve and love them well. Even if we feel nervous the first time or two we share our story, God’s strength and power will enable us to love others by sharing His word through our god story. (see Eph, 3:16 above)
- Knowing God’s Word shapes how we live.
- Living God’s Word shapes how we love others.
- Loving others leads us to share His Word.
Rooted and Established in Love
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is my prayer for you:
“I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” — Ephesians 3:16-19
As I reflect on my journey of spiritual growth, I realize that without God’s Word, I tend to lean on my understanding and drift in my faith. When that happens, I love and serve others less intentionally, and my speech lacks grace and gentleness.
But just like a toddler learning to walk, when I stumble in my spiritual discipline, God is there to encourage me—to help me get up and take another step toward Him.
Spiritual growth takes time, devotion, and perseverance. It happens in seasons. But as we grow, serve, and love others, we will find ourselves becoming more like the Proverbs 31 woman than we ever imagined.
When we are rooted and established in love, we will share God’s Word because it’s how we live—and we live God’s Word because He is the One we love most.
