Many of us know whether the resolutions we set in January will continue into 2025 or not by now. Rather than becoming frustrated with ourselves, we can reset during the spring season—which can be a time for refreshment and renewal.
Spring has always been my favorite time of year. As a child, I remember grabbing my Bible, a poetry collection, and a journal. I’d plop down under a flowering tree to breathe deeply of the beauty around me and meditate on the Creator.
Today allergies may prevent some of us from this practice! But we can still think creatively about practices to cultivate spiritual growth this spring.
Here are three ways to move toward spiritual growth this spring.
3 Ways to Cultivate Spiritual Growth
1 – Spring clean your digital environment.
“‘Everything is permissible for me,’ but not everything is helpful. ‘Everything is permissible for me,’ but I will not be brought under the control of anything.” – I Corinthians 6:12 HCSB
Before considering what to do, think about what you can stop doing.
As any good spring cleaner knows, merely buying more containers to hold all the extra stuff won’t do much unless we clear the clutter.
We may feel like we don’t have time to cultivate spiritual growth, but we may be unaware of how much time our digital practices take.
Spring is a wonderful time to clean up and curate content.
We can curate what we read to ensure it edifies and promotes our spiritual and emotional growth.
My phone lets me know when I’ve spent more time on it over the past week, and I can set an intention to keep to a certain digital limit.
I have a temptation toward “doom-scrolling” when I’m tired. This is especially true at the end of the day when I mindlessly gaze at the infinite scroll of my social media.
Setting a limit to only check certain apps once per day can help with this time-waster.
We can cooperate with the Holy Spirit to not be brought under the control of anything that is not of the Lord, including doom-scrolling!
2 – Choose moments of silence.
“He is like a tree planted beside streams of water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” – Psalm 1:3 HCSB
We can gravitate toward practices that bring peace and renewal.
We can resist the urge to grab our phones immediately while we wait. Allowing ourselves to be—without flooding ourselves with images—can be life-giving.
Instead of filling every moment with sound and action, we can choose silence and peace in tiny snippets. Whether waiting in line at a grocery store or driving to pick up kids, we can be still within our minds and remember God (Ps 46:10).
Praying while driving can be a sweet time of communion with the Lord.
Being silent and still while in a checkout line means our eyes can be open to someone in need around us—such as a grandmother struggling with her cart.
We can even send little “arrow prayers” to the Lord, asking for His help to be attentive to the needs around us.
In doing this, we can become more aware of Christ’s presence, our own well-being, and what is helpful for others.
When we are watered by the Lord, then we can become a refreshing source for others. We can become a tree that bears fruit and whose leaf does not wither.
But first, we should be planted by the stream and commune with the Lord.
3 – Select a new spiritual practice.
“Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” – Isaiah 43:19 HCSB
Regardless of where we landed with our New Year’s resolutions, we can set some spring ones. Committing to a couple of practices has more likelihood of success than taking on too many new goals.
We can commit to the daily reading of Scripture and devotional resources before accessing any news or tackling our to-do list for the day.
Intercessory prayer—when we pray for others—is important. But we can also speak to the Lord about anything in our lives.
Accessing prayer resources, such as Bible studies, can introduce us to how people in the Bible prayed.
We can learn how biblical figures brought their hurts and woes, as well as their joys, to the Lord. Observing their stories can open our eyes to God’s work in our lives.
Consider trying a resource you haven’t explored before. If you tend to gravitate toward the New Testament, consider a study about understanding God’s work in the world.
Spiritual Spring Cleaning Leads to New Growth
We can clear out digital clutter, choose the beauty of silence, and position ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives today.
God may have something new in store for us this year, and we want to be open and receptive to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Just like the new growth of spring, new spiritual growth can take place when we have open ears and hearts.
Stephanie Wilsey
Stephanie Wilsey is a long-time worship leader and educator. She is also a student in Northeastern Seminary’s MA in Spiritual Formation Program. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Josh, and two children, Alexa and Kian. She loves reading, walking in nature, and connecting with others over a good cup of tea. Connect with her at her website.
