In your last performance review where you work, were you able to tell your employer that you had done all that was expected of you? Did you meet expectations that included personal and performance improvement? If not, you probably found yourself facing an unhappy employer, at best, and you might have lost your job as well.
Fortunately God is not going to take away our salvation if we fail to meet all of His expectations, but I suggest that we do make Him unhappy when we fail to meet His expectations, one of which is become more familiar with Him. Our goal as Christians always must be to become more intimate with Him as we help others grow.
Spiritual growth often grows out of developing personal disciplines, one of which is to develop a personal model of spiritual growth. In MasterLife 4: The Disciple's Mission of the MasterLife Series, Avery Willis offers a plan by which we not only can set a personal pattern of spiritual growth - a spiritual discipline model of sorts - but also use this same model to mentor others to become growing disciples.
Consider this plan for spiritual growth.
Make spiritual growth a commitment and priority
God created us as whole beings, and I believe that includes linking the mind and the heart to accomplish God’s plan for our lives. Decisions to growth spiritually also include willful decisions of the mind to follow through with our commitments.
Spend time with God
Christians should spend time each day connected to God. We can block off time on our calendars if we need that much discipline to focus on God. Frankly, time demands for most of us naturally interfere with what we might otherwise consider not essential each day. Spending time with God is, in fact, essential for spiritual growth.
Live in the Word
If we want to know more about God, we will learn about Him in the Bible. We know more about the heart and mind of God as we study and focus on the messages He inspired the biblical writers to record. God inhabits the Word and provided the Bible to enable us to grow spiritually.
Pray in faith
If our prayers are not coupled with confidence that God will answer our prayers, we are not praying in faith. Prayer based on faith is regular (daily) prayer that includes celebration, worship and confession as well as petitioning God with our needs or the needs of others.
Have fun with other Christians
Fellowship is an experience as well as a relationship. We are bound together with other Christians through Christ, and through Christ we develop friendships and relationships that include family as well as friends. Fellowship experiences include worship with family and friends.
Lead the lost to Christ
When Christ gave His Great Commission, He gave it to laymen who had committed their lives to obeying their Master. Witnessing and leading others to Christ was an integral part of life, not something reserved for visitation night or when we feel compelled to tell others about Jesus. Witnessing is a lifestyle.
Minister to others
Ministry is the overflow of the Christian life. True Christians have eyes to see needs and hearts sensitive to meeting those needs. Christians do not discriminate one need as more worthy of attention than others. Meeting needs as they are presented is at the heart of the ministry Jesus modeled for us.