Growing in means the development of inner resources. When you build a tall building, the crucial aspect that determines success is the building's foundation. To build high, you must dig deep.
A building's foundation is not tested until the exact stress for which its foundation was designed comes to bear upon it. The foundation's strength is then tested and the soundness of its construction is most crucial at this time.
Changing Your Attitude
The first place that God needs to work is in your heart. The heart is the major battle ground.
How does one become successful as spiritual leader, as a businessman, or in any other profession? You first must change your heart attitude. How can you change your heart attitude? You must inspect your vision. If you have the wrong vision or if your vision is too small for the ability God has granted you, your heart attitude is also going to be wrong and you'll find yourself discouraged, bewildered, and depressed.
Some cover up their failures by using catch phrases that sound spiritual. God wants us to grow and to grow in a big way. Being satisfied with smallness may reveal a lack of spiritual insight of God's kingdom purposes. Or perhaps it is a lack of compassion for a world that doesn't know the Lord or for believers that are struggling. How else can we serve God and help others unless we ourselves are successful. This is no time to be satisfied with the status quo in your life. This is the time that God will work in your heart for great growth both spiritually and materially. Don't be fearful when you consider the possibility that God has great things for you. God has called you for special purpose. You must work on your heart to find His purpose for your life.
A Man's Vision Will Also Limit His Behavior.
We can never be any more than we dream of being. As we set our eyes on God's holy word and develop a deep fellowship with the Holy Spirit, our vision is changed. How can you change your vision? You can't, but the Holy Spirit can and will.
I had to be delivered from the concept that the Holy Spirit was just an experience and come to the realization that the Holy Spirit was a real, divine person.
As I began to wait upon him and talk to him, he then became very real to me and began to change my vision. In fact, as we set our gaze upon the Holy Spirit, he takes the brush of faith, dips into the ink of the Word of God and draws beautiful pictures upon the canvas of our hearts. After he gives us a new picture to strive for, we find a new internal motivation.
...there is no obstacle that can discourage a man who's been given a vision by the Holy Spirit. One of the main obstacles to overcome is the opinion of those who say, "It's impossible. It has never been done before." What is their problem? They have never seen what God has shown you. Once God has granted you a vision, then you must learn to spend time dreaming over that vision.
Visions and Dreams
This is the essence of my philosophy. It covers all of the principles of congregational growth work. I call it "visions and dreams." As I travel throughout the world, I've seen evidences of the fact that the application of vision and dreams really works in changing one's heart attitude.
Most men I've seen are satisfied with the status quo. They have congregations of 30 to 50 members and since most tithed, they could live comfortably without expanding. So their congregations become exclusive little clubs. When this happens, the desire for growth will not develop.
Expand Your Vision
Sometimes our actions limit our vision. At times we find ourselves in a situation where we have to choose the level of money we're going to spend for something. Perhaps you're visiting a place and need to stay in a hotel. What kind of a room should you stay in? Does God really want us to stay in a nice place? Does he want us to stay in Spartan surroundings so as to conserve money? This a difficult question, which only you can you answer. Yet sometimes, I've found that people don't believe God for great things, especially when it comes to them selves. This may come from a sense of inferiority, or a false humility or spirituality.
That week I spent much time teaching the leaders to begin to expand their vision and dreams. As amazing as it sounds, it seems that our heavenly Father allows his representatives on earth to limit his activity through a lack of vision. I believe the same thing applies to prayer. God voluntarily limits Himself by our prayers. He can do anything, but He chooses to limit the scope of His authority by vesting it in us.
So here is how it works. Our heart attitude is changed by catching a fresh vision from the Holy Spirit. Once the vision is imparted, we must dwell upon it and dream about it until the vision comes into reality.
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