People help us Grow

God uses people to help us grow. We need others to help support and lift us up during many growth opportunities. People give us validation, encouragement, and help to model for us, the character traits of Jesus. When we support someone, we hold them up. “Carry each other’s burden, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). The helpful support from others helps us to endure through a host of growth processes including obstacles, issues, discipline, grief, and others.

Modeling the character of Christ: Daily, we face obstacles and tasks that stretch us beyond our abilities and talents. We need people we can relate to. As people are walking and spending time with good and healthy people, they are growing into good and healthy people. We cannot do what we have never seen before. People show us how it is done. We need models to show us how or how not to. We need to see others imitate Christ and model for us His character traits and attitudes. We are to walk as Jesus walked and to follow His example (see 1John 2:6). It’s all about developing His character in us. Character issues such as diligence, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, facing failure, and taking risks are all spiritually developed traits that relate to success in life. These should all be included in our models of spiritual growth.

Issues and addictions: We find victory over some area over our lives as a result of plugging into a small group where we can be open and honest about our issues. Some can control their addictive behaviors, but they ultimately fail because their relational patterns have not changed. Hardly anyone completely recovers from some addiction or compulsive behavior without connection to a support group and support from others. People connected to other people thrive and those not connected wither and die.

Discipline and structure: God gave us people to help us grow in the area of discipline. When people discipline us, it teaches us self-control: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). Our freedom is rooted in righteousness and peace as a result of being trained by discipline. The Bible consistently tells us we get discipline, structure, and correction from other people. Others discipline us and then we can do it for ourselves.

Grief: One of the most important processes in life is grief. Grief is God’s way of getting us through and past hurtful things. To heal and grow, we learn to walk through loss and pain. And we need others to helps us do that. When someone dies or when there is another kind of loss or injury in life, we have to be able to work through the experience and move on, leaving our hearts available for new experiences and relationships. Through loss and suffering we learn about God’s faithfulness and how the love and support of others brings us through it. Healing is part of the grief process, but it is also a different process. Hurts caused from rejection, abuse, and abandonment is pain, deep inside the soul. Loving relationship help us in our healing not just dull the pain.

Everyday living: God created people for connection, not isolation. Begin to see spiritual growth as a total makeover (born again) and growing up again in a second family, the family of God. Take regular steps towards cultivating safe relationships that have your best interest to help you change and grow, and to be more like Jesus.