Stepping Into Your WildSample

Day 2: Growing in Spirit
Embracing spiritual growth

Chapter Summary
Let It Be Wild, Chapter 2 - Growing in Spirit

I grew up in a small Methodist church where faith was tradition. It was Sunday morning hymns, chicken lunches afterward, and a rhythm of doing what was expected. And while I’m thankful for that foundation—it wasn’t until my life started unraveling a bit that I realized something important: my roots didn’t go very deep.

When my parents divorced, I was shaken. The comfort I once felt in routine church life didn’t hold up to the grief I was feeling. But God met me in that heartbreak. Through the steady presence of my Young Life leader, Lyndsey, I found a new way of experiencing faith. It wasn’t about checking the right boxes anymore. It became about relationship—raw, real, and personal.

For the first time, I saw God not as someone I had to please, but someone who deeply loved me and wanted to walk with me. That season cracked me open, but it also helped my roots finally begin to grow.

Stepping Into Your Wild

It’s easy to go through the motions, isn’t it? To pray the familiar prayers, attend the services, sing the songs—and still feel like something is missing. For a long time, that was me. I was doing all the “right” things, but I didn’t really know God. I knew about Him, but I hadn’t learned what it meant to really walk with Him.

Spiritual growth isn’t something we achieve by doing more—it’s something that happens when we slow down and make space for God to be known. Sometimes that growth happens through joy. Other times it happens through heartbreak. But either way, it happens when we get honest. When we show up as we are—not just the “good” version of ourselves, but the messy, doubting, grieving version too.

Colossians 2:7 reminds us that strong faith starts underground—with roots. And the truth is, we don’t often see roots growing. That part takes time, patience, and often, silence. But it’s in those hidden places—those quiet mornings, those whispered prayers, those journaled doubts—that something beautiful is forming.

When you’re rooted in God, you’re no longer swayed by every storm. You begin to live out of a deep sense of trust instead of striving. And from that place, your life naturally starts to overflow—with peace, with clarity, and yes, with gratitude.

So if your faith has felt stale or disconnected, don’t shame yourself. God isn’t asking you to perform. He’s asking you to draw near. Let Him meet you right where you are. The most beautiful kind of growth always begins in the quiet places.

Key Takeaway

Spiritual growth doesn’t come from performance—it comes from presence. Let your roots grow deep in God by spending time with Him, being honest, and building relationship. You don’t have to have it all figured out—just keep showing up.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life have you been going through the motions in your faith?
2. What would it look like for you to slow down and truly connect with God this week?
3. Who or what has helped your faith grow deeper in past seasons—and how can you return to that space now?

Prayer

God, I want more than surface-level faith. I want to be rooted in You. Help me slow down enough to be honest with You—to show up not just in routine, but in relationship. Grow something deep in me, even if I can’t see it right away. Let my life be built on You and overflow with thankfulness. Amen.