Last week in the Growing Faith series, I wrote about the need for patience regarding your spiritual growth, especially as a new Christian. Sometimes it can be overwhelming when it seems like there is a checklist to complete. Thankfully all we need to remember is daily surrender and working toward loving God, ourselves, and others with everything that comes from our hear, mouth, and mind. (Matthew 22:37-38). Each day is a new day to love God and one another a little bit better.
I also wrote about prayer and the importance of talking with God to develop a relationship with Him. This is the foundation of the Christian faith, relationship not rules. Prayer is one way we can get to know our Creator.
Another part of walking in the Christian faith is to be aware of the need for boundaries. I don’t know what your life was like before you gave your life to Christ, but there may be people or situations that would not support your faith. Sometimes we have to be aware of the things in our life that influence us the most. While I am certainly not saying you should only maintain relationships with those who believe the same as you, be aware of those who influence you the most and whether or not that influence is an encouragement to your faith.
In the Bible, Paul became a believer after being blinded and encountering Jesus. His former life was spent putting Christians in jail and often having them killed. After his conversion, he spent some time away from his former life (Galatians 1) before he became a missionary.
Determining your boundaries may be better understood through your time in prayer. God can definitely lead you to step away from people or circumstances that aren’t the best influence. Also, the more you surround yourself with people and opportunities that help you grow in your faith, the more you will see areas that need some boundaries.
As you continue your journey as a new Christian, regularly reading the Bible allows for you to gain a greater picture of the character of God. Opening the Bible can be very intimidating. What do you read? How do you understand? What is it all about anyway? Do I need to join a Bible study group? Again, be patient. No believer has a full understanding of the Bible or God. It is impossible in our lifetime. That’s one reason to look forward to heaven!
In 2 Chronicles 34, King Josiah was a strong leader who worked to bring his people back into a relationship with God. When the book of law (part of the Bible written by Moses) was discovered and read to him, he learned the history of God and his people. He brought back observances and customs that God had instructed them to follow in order the bring them in a closer relationship with Him.
There is an abundance of Bible studies and devotionals to help you begin your time in God’s Word. There are also online resources to help you understand what you read. Biblehub.com is one of my favorite resources. You can read different translations of the Bible as well as commentary to help explain what you read. A great place to begin reading is the New Testament. If you click on the link to the right, I wrote a Bible Study on the book of John, specifically for those who want to begin reading the Bible but need a basic structured path.
I hope this series is helpful to you as you continue your journey as a Christian or need a reawakening of your faith. Creating boundaries is important if you want to grow and be encouraged in your relationship with God. Reading the Bible allows you to gain a greater understanding of your Creator and His love for you.
Leah Lively 
Oh! precious is the flow….
LikeLike
i totally agree with your article on what a new Christian needs to do but i believe that something that is vital that has been left out. All of what is mentioned in the article is true but left unsaid, the new believer is going to put their faith and trust in what they are doing and then it becomes a matter of being under law….if i do this and that then i am in good standing. I think it is imperative that a new believer be told that their faith needs to be anchored exclusively in Jesus Christ and what he did at the Cross for us. We are not under law but under God’s grace. It is not about what we do but what Christ did for us. Once our faith is exclusively in Christ the Holy Spirit will begin to work in that person’s life and put the desire to do those good works that you mentioned but now they are doing them because of their desire to know HIM better and be closer to HIM. They are not trusting in what they are doing but doing what the Holy Spirit has put in them to draw closer to Christ. The holy spirit will put those Christ-like ways in us and begin to remove those desires that are not pleasing to Christ…..sanctification. Just my thoughts.
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing. I agree with you. A daily placement of trust and surrender is important for new believers as well as seasoned ones.
LikeLike
THANK YOU. I JUST HEAR THAT SO MUCH IN CHURCH TELLING NEW BELIEVERS WHAT THEY NEED TO DO NOW THAT THEY HAVE ACCEPTED JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR AND I JUST FEEL THAT LEFT UNSAID THEY PUT THEIR TRUST AND FAITH IN WHAT THEY WERE TOLD TO DO AND EITHER THEY BECOME SELF RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE THEY ARE DOING WHAT THEY WERE TOLD AND MANY TIMES EVEN MORE OR THEY BECOME BOUND TO LAW….I NEED TO DO THIS OR THAT….AND THEY NEVER EXPERIENCE THE FREEDOM THEY NOW HAVE IN CHRIST. I JUST WISH MORE PASTORS WOULD ADD THAT THEIR FAITH NEEDS TO REMAIN IN CHRIST AND THE CROSS(WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED THERE) IT IS A FIGHT OF FAITH BECAUSE SATAN IS ALWAYS TRYING TO STEAL A PERSON’S FAITH AND TAKE IT AWAY FROM WHAT CHRIST DID FOR US. IF HE CAN CAUSE A PERSON TO PUT THEIR FAITH IN WHAT THEY DO INSTEAD OF WHAT CHRIST DID IT IS A DOWNHILL STRUGGLE FROM THERE. MOST PEOPLE WANT TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHAT THEY DO, THAT IS THE FLESH, WE WANT THE CREDIT, BUT IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS, JESUS, JESUS. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO DEAL WITH SIN AND IT IS AT THE CROSS AND THRU THE BLOOD OF JESUS. NO SELF HELP BOOKS ETC ARE GOING TO SET A PERSON FREE….IT IS ONLY THRU THE BLOOD. I TRUST THAT WITH ALL MY HEART. PROPER FAITH WILL ALWAYS PRODUCE PROPER WORKS. AND PROPER FAITH MUST ALWAYS BE IN JESUS CHRIST AND THE CROSS.
LikeLiked by 1 person