Are you satisfied with where you are spiritually? I am afraid that too many Christians have grown content with their spiritual condition, believing that where they are is good enough. “After all,” they say, “if where I am spiritually is good enough to get me to heaven, why should I be concerned with being better?”

The truth is, none of us have reached the apex of spirituality. We can all grow in Christ in various ways, and the Bible encourages us to do so.

2 Peter 3:18 (ESV)
¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Are you growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord? Fortunately, we all have the ability to grow because God has given us the tools to do so, the primary tool being the Word of God.

1 Peter 2:2 (ESV)
² Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.

The sincere milk that Peter is referring to is the Word of God. It can help us to grow. In order for it to do so, however, we must long for it. The Greek word for “long for” is a strong word that liter-ally means “to yearn or earnestly crave for something” (Strong). Peter is not talking about a pass-ing emotion here. He is speaking of an insatiable passion for something. While he is speaking to those who are young in the faith, this admonition is applicable to all Christians. We must all crave the Word of God. Here is another tip about the word “long for.” It is in the imperative mood, meaning it is a command. Peter is literally saying, “You must crave the sincere milk of the Word.”

Having a strong desire for the Word of God is the foundation for being a good Christian. Remem-ber, Paul said that faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17), and it is only when we have a strong, uncompromising faith in God and His Word that we move forward in our quest to be the best Christians possible. Yes, we need to study God’s Word regularly (2 Timothy 2:15), meditate on it as often as possible (Joshua 1:8), and teach it to others whenever we have the op-portunity (2 Timothy 4:11); but, we will not do those things consistently without first longing for it. Then, after we develop a strong craving for the Word, we need to put it into practice. It is the practice of doing right that leads us toward perfection.

Hebrews 5:14 (NASB)
¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

The Word of God is one of the most valuable possessions that we have as Christians. It helps us to grow in faith, knowledge, grace, and love for God, but the growth does not come automatically. We have to long for the Word enough to study it and apply it to our lives. Only then will we devel-op into the disciples that God wants us to be.

As you wind down for the night, think on these things.