8 Sneaky Habits That Stunt Your Spiritual Growth

Like our emotions, we can focus on our own intellectual abilities. We like things to make sense to us. The world offers philosophies and “isms” for us to try and guide our thoughts and decisions. Yet the world’s messages promote self and personal ability and attainment. Despite how wise they seem on the outside, they shift our trust to ourselves instead of the Bible and the Spirit. God’s truth comes from another realm, heaven, and it humbles us with its mystery.

We must submit our intellect to faith and the Spirit, or else become slaves. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8) Worldly philosophies sound intelligent, and the world celebrates them. At the same time, academia often mocks faith and God’s miracles. However, these worldly philosophies are lifeless and empty apart from Christ, leading to pride and logical contradiction, as shifting the foundation to emotion.

God must choose to reveal himself, and when he does, our minds are renewed. Our very thinking changes to the eternal perspective, healing our heart, giving us security, and engaging our intellect in the right way. Submitting our intellect to the Spirit doesn’t dismiss our mind but redeems it. We then grow in the mind of Christ, which aligns with his whole character, and we gain insights, strength, peace, and hope. We grow wholistically in God’s born-again image in us.

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