Are You Growing?
One of the most common questions I’m asked is simple but profound: How do I really know if I’m growing spiritually?
After all, it’s possible to look the part. We can attend church regularly, serve on a team, teach a class, give generously, or even go on mission trips. Yet none of those activities alone guarantees transformation. We can go through all the motions while remaining unchanged inside—still struggling with pride, selfishness, anger, or insecurity.
So how do we know if we are truly growing?
Jesus gives us the answer in the parable of the soils. He says that the good soil is the one who hears the Word, understands it, and bears fruit (Matthew 13:23). Spiritual growth is not measured by how much we know—it’s revealed by what we produce.
Fruit is the outward evidence of inward transformation.
Jesus reinforces this truth when He says, “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16–20). Healthy trees bear good fruit. Diseased trees do not. The fruit doesn’t make the tree alive; it reveals whether it is alive.
Likewise, our works don’t earn salvation, but they do reveal who or what truly owns our hearts.
The Real Battle Within
If we’re honest, we all feel the tension between who we want to be and what we often do. The apostle Paul described this battle vividly in Romans 7. He wanted to obey God, yet found himself battling sin within himself. Sound familiar?
There is a war raging inside every believer—the conflict between the flesh (our sinful nature) and the Spirit of God.
An old parable captures it well. A grandfather tells his grandson that two dogs live inside him. One represents anger, envy, pride, and selfishness. The other represents joy, peace, love, humility, and faith. When the boy asks which dog will win, the grandfather replies: “The one you feed.”
That’s the battle. Whatever we nourish grows.
If we continually feed our flesh—our ego, our resentments, our appetites—the flesh will dominate. But when we feed our souls on the Word of God, prayer, obedience, and dependence on the Holy Spirit, the Spirit grows stronger within us.
Paul gives us incredible hope in Romans 8: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (v. 1). The Spirit of God dwells within believers—not merely to inform us, but to transform us.
The Christian life is not about trying harder. It is about walking in step with the Spirit.
The Evidence: The Fruit of the Spirit
In Galatians 5, Paul makes it clear what this transformation looks like.
First, he lists the works of the flesh—sexual immorality, jealousy, anger, envy, division, and drunkenness, among others. These behaviors flow naturally from our sinful nature.
Then he gives us something radically different.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).
Notice Paul doesn’t say “fruits,” plural. It is one fruit with nine dimensions—a unified picture of Christ’s character formed in us.
This is how we know we are growing…
Are you loving in increasing measure?
Are you experiencing joy that is not dependent on circumstances?
Is peace present in your life even in chaos?
Are you patient when God’s timing differs from yours?
Is kindness evident in how you treat others?
Do you pursue goodness even when it costs you?
Are you faithful to your commitments?
Is gentleness shaping how you correct and restore others?
Are you exercising self-control in areas where you once lacked restraint?
Spiritual growth is not perfection. It is progression.
The fruit of the Spirit grows gradually, like fruit on a tree. You don’t stand in front of an apple tree demanding apples. Growth takes time, nourishment, pruning, and daily exposure to the sun (for us, the Son).
But over time—if the tree is healthy—fruit appears.
Love: The Primary Mark
Love stands first in Paul’s list because it most clearly reflects the character of God. Every other fruit comes from it. Scripture says, “God is love” (1 John 4:16). This love is not mere emotion. It is self-giving devotion. It seeks the good of others without demanding repayment.
Joy follows—a Spirit-given delight rooted not in comfort but in Christ.
Peace flows from reconciliation with God.
Patience reflects trust in His timing.
Kindness and goodness show His heart toward others.
Faithfulness reveals integrity and devotion.
Gentleness reflects strength under control.
Self-control demonstrates Spirit-empowered mastery over the flesh.
These qualities are not natural to us. They are supernatural. They cannot be manufactured by willpower alone. They are produced as the Spirit works within us.
So… Are You Growing?
A. W. Tozer once observed that many who profess Christ live in such a worldly way that it is difficult to distinguish them from the unconverted. That statement should make us pause.
When people observe your life—your speech, your reactions, your decisions—do they see evidence of the Spirit at work?
Remember: fruit is visible.
The fruit of the Spirit is the outward sign of inward transformation. It reveals the One we love most, the One we are following.
None of us will reflect Christ perfectly. But if we are walking in step with the Spirit, we will reflect Him increasingly.
So ask yourself:
Am I feeding my flesh, or am I feeding my soul?
Am I merely wearing the name of Jesus, or is His Spirit shaping my life?
If you see the fruit of the Spirit growing—even slowly—you are growing spiritually. And that is the evidence that His grace, love, and freedom are at work within you. Walk in step with the Spirit—and embrace the supernatural life He alone empowers.
