Growth is a characteristic of spiritual life in order to reach the main goal in our life, which is the eternal life. Thus, His Eminence Bishop Benjamin of Monofia, in his article ‘The Life of Growth’ explained that growth is a characteristic of life in general and spiritual life in particular. Man tries to overcome all what disrupts him according to the saying of St. Paul the Apostle: forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead &(Philippians 3: 13)
Such pursuit of spiritual growth is the ultimate goal of life.
Thus, St. Paul warns us of preoccupation with any other purpose as an alternative to eternal life: ‘Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you’.
Whoever begins his relationship with God and does not grow up can not reach the main goal of the kingdom of heaven. , so every spiritual work has its beginning and its complement. This is what St. Paul noted when he said, ‘Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.’
Spiritual growth requires growth in all spiritual media: prayer, fasting, purity, repentance, etc. This is the spiritual struggle that we have to grow in till we reach the kingdom of heaven. May God grant us a life of continuous spiritual growth, making our main goal is to reach the kingdom of heaven, and let no other goal occupy us.
