Learn how to grow mentally, physically and spiritually

Perhaps the most important words about growth is from John Maxwell in his book "15 Laws Of Growth" that Growth is intentional.

Intentional in the sense that you cannot automatically get better.

"Growth required intentionality, a personal decision and willingness", John concluded.

You are a result of two things: the books you read, and the companies you keep. says David Oyedepo, For these are the determinant of Growth.

Introduction to Growth

To grow is to increase, (in size, number, value, strength, etc.) To grow is expansion.

The concept of Growth is not new. Various scholars have said different things about it already.

But something is missing from all those tradition talk about Growth, and I will point out to you to the missing puzzles in this article.

As  humans, we are made up of three important parts: the spirit, the soul (mind) and the body. Pay attention to the arrangement to know which comes first, second, and third: the spirit, the mind and the body respectively.

True prosperity is how one grow these Trinity that makes up human.

Growth is more than the body, and the mind. It's the combination of the three aspects that help reach fulfillment, and it's obviously what God required of us.

FORMS AND TYPES OF GROWTH.

Also, the most important thing to know about Growth is that it does not happen automatically, but takes intentionality.

Three important parts:

1. As a human being, we are made of three important parts: the spirit, the soul (mind) and the body.
2. Man (male and female) is a spiritual being that has a soul (mind) to inquire the senses, and lives in a body.
3. The body is the most visible part because we carry it everywhere we go. But the body does not come first in the trinity but the spiritual part, then the soul (mind) before the body.

These three parts requires different measures of 'meal' to function properly.

When the body is hungry, the whole system will be slowed down and tiredness will set in until there's food intake. In the same manner, the mind and the spirit are also hungry just that it's not a thing the neurons in the body can detect.

That's why intentionality sets in. To feed the spiritual part, the mind as you're feeding the body.

Many have grown up old physically, but their spiritual self is still a baby, and they held the mentality of a 7-year-old.

Growing intentionally will help match these three parts into equal proportionality.

THE THREE FORMS OF GROWTH.

1. Spiritual Growth: This is the part that comes first. Unlike the physical part the spiritual self won't show starvation. The effect is oppression from Satan, and he's the greatest enemy of mankind.
2. Mindset Growth: The mind is a bridge between the spiritual self and the body. The mind is the processing center. This shows that it works throughout the hours non-stop. And as a man thinks in his mind so he is. Starvation of the mind will lead to confusion, frustration and depression.
3. Physical Growth: Lack of food to the body brings disorganization of the whole system Malnutrition also brings stunted growth. The body is the container for the other two parts, each playing its roles in relation to other.

The growth of these three parts are very essential to enjoy full prosperity as a human.

The soul (mind) of a man is very powerful. Every seconds in a minute, the mind is always active. Thinking randomly to make sense of other things.

Like the Spiritual self, a man's mind has no limit of what it can do, only to the extent of what the man thinks.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SPIRIT, THE MIND AND THE BODY.

The mind stands in-between the Spiritual self, and the physical self, serving as a link to both sides. The mind is an interpreter, and convey Spiritual instructions and coding to the body.

Man as a Spirit being, is meant to be leaded by the spirit of God in him:

Instructions by the Spirit of God is given to the mind to pass to the body. In the same vein, when the body is going contrary to God's law, it is the Spirit of God in him that stirs the conscience into alertness. This warns of impending danger in what's to be done, and with adequate discipline, the body will cease from committing atrocities.

The Spiritual self do not contact the body directly, except through the mind.

Conscience is placed in a man's soul and can only be stirred by the Spirit of God in the man. So, Spiritual growth determines the alertness of the conscience.

THE MIND AS A BATTLEFIELD.

The mind is a battlefield for man.

In his mind, man wrestle every day with making right or wrong decisions, good or bad plans, what or what not to do and so many others. The mind never rests as it processes tons of information every second of the day.

Satan also dump 'shits' in man's mind. These shits can be negative thought, murder, and all destructive and perverse thoughts you can ever think of. It is only with Spiritual consciousness that can correct the mind of the device of the devil. It still boils down to how strong your Spiritual self is to have a good control of the mind.

The only thing the body listen to is the mind because it is tightly connected with it. When the mind approve, the body set into action.

No man ever do anything without thinking of it, even to the words that comes out of our mouth.

There's a worldview which every man develops. This worldview consists of man's experience, knowledge, insight, understanding and wisdom. The worldview is how a man see and understands things, circumstances, and the world. From this world view is the mindset.

The mindset is a firm believe of and on something. The mind can be Set in a particular experience or location.

Once the mind is set. It is very hard to change it. This explains why people tend to explain reality from their own experience or what they heard or from circumstances, which may be wrong.

We can have a 80years old man with the mindset of a 8years old. The mind is set on the experience of previous years.

HOW TO GROW YOUR MIND.

Like the Spiritual self, growing the mind is a routine activity. You need to renew your mind to prove what is good and acceptable.

The mind feeds on information, and interprets it as a thought or picture, sometimes like a movie only you can see.

Feed your mind on the word of God daily so that it can align with the Spirit, and only thinks about Spiritual stuffs. And when it does so, the body is free from sin.

Feed your mind with good books. Books renew the mind with understanding. Study to know what you do not know to broaden the mind.

Feed your mind on good thought and imagination.

Think about things on high, the Bible says. Good thoughts and imagination helps the mind the renewing of the mind.

Lastly, feed your mind with prayer. Ask God for purification and He'll grant you.

Do all these daily, and you'll be amazed at how beautiful your mind can be if fed probably.

GROWING SPIRITUALLY.

The last part in the human trinity is the body: the physical part that can be seen and access with the senses.

The body is built in such a way that it hungers for growth. Unlike the Spiritual self and the mind, the body gives signs of hunger through different system built into making it function properly. To eat therefore is very important as a human. The body needs food to survive. Hunger has the tendency to distract human psychologically, and can reduce energy.

Hence, food enhance physical growth as it nourish the body and gives it energy.

However, food alone does not equate growth. The growth in this context is inline with the other two growth: spiritual and mind.

GROWING PHYSICALLY.

You need physical energy to growth the two intangibles. The scripture says: a little sleep, a little folding of the hands so shall your poverty increase, and your wants like an armed man. It also encourages to give no sleep to our eyes except we deliver ourselves like a gazelle that were trapped.

Therefore, the Spiritual Growth and the mind depends on the healthiness and energy level of the body. This now creates a very important role for the body as growth is concern.

Someone that finds pleasure in sleeping at least 10hours a day will find it very difficult to grow the Spirit or the mind, as the body is not energetic enough to delay gratification.

In the world of sport, for example, you can't find someone who does not give to physical exercise in any sport. They exercise their body to get their energy level up, and also grow their minds with the sport philosophy. That's why you will see some spoke person with extraordinary ability. This is because their mind and body have already united.

GROWING THE BODY.

The body needs food to grow primarily and it is not just anyhow foods but healthy ones. It does not have to be a five-star meal in a five-star restaurant, but at least a healthy food in your localities.

Malnutrition affects the brain and can damage certain organs. So, you have to eat healthy foods, and drink enough water.

Physical exercise is also an all time requirement for stretching the limit of bodily strength and endurance. You do not have to visit gym now and then, except you want to build your bodily muscles. Simple exercise will help clear the blood paths, and raise energy level for the day.

Furthermore, discipline to keep to routine is very important to enforce in the body. Without discipline, you will not be able to grow the body properly not to talk of the mind and the Spirit.

Discipline to delay gratification of eating junks, of sleeping more than 10hours a day, and of doing several other irrelevant things. Discipline.

Conclusion

In summary, the body is the carrier of the intangibles. Therefore, it needs care, and support. A termination or serious injury to it can affect others.

Writer: IVRC Online