This is a three part series on how to help people grow spiritually. Part I explained that we need to listen well, be gentle, and help bear others’ burdens. Part II addressed how we need to speak truth, check up on people, and how we can minister to them in the area of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Today we will give four more ways that you can help people grow spiritually.
7. PERSONAL CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE
If we are helping others, we need to be careful that we do not develop a savior complex. We are not anyone’s savior; Jesus is, we are just pointing them to Him. During a time of helping others, we can easily become prideful as we help people through things in life that we have conquered or many not even struggle with.
As we help people, we need to spend just as much time growing in our own spiritual walk as time devoting to others. We need to pray that the Holy Spirit would point out our own sin, so that we would be able to confess it and repent of it, and that sin would not cloud us trying to help others (Matthew 7:3-5).
Often when I am helping someone through something, I have others praying for me. I don’t share names, unless I have permission to do so, and I don’t share situations. But I know that often helping people takes energy, and that when I’m helping someone, because my energy is being spent, it is often the time that Satan attempts to attack me.
8. CONNECT TO JESUS
Throughout the book of Ephesians, especially chapter one, and John 15, we see how our identity and source of strength must be in Jesus. Often when people are struggling it is because they do not have their primary identity in Jesus. Often we identify with our strengths or our weaknesses. We can help people realize that their true identity is in Christ, and therefore their source of strength is in Him, not themselves.
If we are to minister, our true identity and source of strength must also be in Jesus. If it is not, while we may have the right answers, we will only be passing on moralistic deism. If Christ doesn’t own us, it is hard for us to give the hope to others of being owned by Christ.
9. STUDY TOGETHER
Meeting together to talk is good. Studying together will develop a deeper relationship with that person as you spiritually guide them. Of course what would be best would be studying through a passage of Scripture. Each studying it separately, writing down observations and questions, and then meeting together to discuss those things.
Also doing a book study together might be beneficial. Doing either of these things provides an opportunity to grow together. It also provides a template you may need to make sure you are regularly meeting together.
10. SERVE OUT OF BROKENNESS
There are times that we are totally broken and unable to serve. Many times when someone says they can’t serve because of their own struggles, it is Satan, not God telling them that. We are all broken, and all need help growing in Christ. None of us will be “fixed” until we step into eternity with Christ in Heaven when He officially makes us perfectly whole.
Let me also say that serving out of brokenness helps from the sense that it is easier for a broken person to be able to relate to another broken person than someone they think has it all together. Of course no one has it all together, but if we bring that perception to the table, we will not be able to guide others.
I hope these 10 tips have helped you as you reach out to help others. You won’t be able to get them done all at once, but if you can grow in one or two areas of helping others, it will be one or two areas that you were not growing in before.
Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10:45 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes or Googleplay.