Signs You Are in a Growing Season

Spiritual growth doesn’t come without change and growing pains. When life becomes challenging, however, it’s difficult to see that your season of growth doesn’t mean to weaken you, but to strengthen and mature you. In today’s video, learn how to trust God when He calls you to a growing season. Enjoy!

As we were about to be released from the hospital after having my first child, I remember thinking, wow, they are really just going to let me go home with no instruction manual or anything. Like many first-time moms, I was thrown into motherhood with no idea as to what I was doing. Before having my daughter, I was a grant specialist at the Department of State in Washington DC, and I was very career oriented. So motherhood brought out a lot of my weaknesses, and that was discouraging. However, as challenging as early motherhood was, it was a breeding ground for spiritual growth. See, in my career, I could operate in my natural talents and abilities and still be successful, but motherhood required of me things I did not have, so I would have to cling to God for the supernatural strength to accomplish what He called me to do in that season. 

And that’s what growing seasons do. They are times of change that bring challenges to push you to a new level of strength and capacity. You may be stretched to do things you've never done or go places you've never gone. God is stretching you because He wants to enlarge your capacity to handle what it is that He has next for you. The discomfort that you feel in this season isn't because you're a failure. You're simply experiencing growing pain. A growing season requires the right spiritual nutrition to sustain the growth God is providing in your soul and life. Because in a growing season, your natural ability will not be enough, you need supernatural power from God to make it through stronger on the other side. 

Now many of us understand that what you eat determines how you grow. In the same way, what we feed our spirit determines how we grow spiritually. If we feed our flesh, we can stunt our spiritual growth. If we feed our spirit, we can flourish. Romans 8 explains it like this:

It’s much like physical food. You have processed and highly fatty and sugary foods that only provide empty carbs. They taste great for a moment but don’t provide the long-lasting nutrition your body needs for health and vitality. If consumed too much, it can do more harm than good. This is like the things of this world that John tells us not to love in 1 John 2:16:  The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All empty carbs. They satisfy for a moment but don’t provide the spiritual nutrition our souls really need to sustain the fruit God wants to produce in our lives.

On the other hand, there is nutritious, rich food that feeds our cells and provides the energy our bodies need to function in a healthy way. This is like the things of God; His Word, His presence, and His Spirit. They nourish our souls for sustained growth.

When it comes to spiritual growth, we must ask ourselves: what are we hungry for? Do we thirst after God or the world? The Apostle Peter says we should crave spiritual milk if we want to grow. He says:

Hebrews chapter 5 explains that after spiritual milk, we need meat to grow. The overall lesson here is growth takes nourishment. And as God stretches us in a growing season by calling us to new territory and to new experiences, we need the spiritual food of His Word and truth to sustain us. 

My encouragement for anyone in a growing season is to not shrink back. Try new things, take risks, and do not be afraid to fail. You may stumble as you navigate unfamiliar territory, but God will not let you fall. Psalm 37:23-24 tells us:

God knows where you are and what difficulties a growing season can bring, but He provides the spiritual nourishment we need to make it through. So let go of doubt, keep growing, and trust Him.

Today’s video is part of a series called “Growing Closer to God in Any Season,” where we’re learning about how to trust God in a wilderness, pruning, growing, or harvest seasons. Take my “Spiritual Seasons” quiz to learn which of the 4 spiritual seasons you are in, and be sure to comment on this video and let me know your results. 

If you enjoyed today’s videos, will you do me a favor and share it with a friend because you just never know who might need some Beloved encouragement today. 

And for more Beloved, be sure to download the Beloved Women app available in the Apple and Google play stores for unlimited access to beloved Bible studies, daily devotions, inspiring interviews, and videos to fill your soul. I look forward to connecting with you there. 

As always, thank you so much for watching, and until next time, be beautiful, be blessed, and be loved.