At the conclusion of World War I, the French government decided to strengthen its defenses to withstand future German threats. The project was led by a member of Parliament named André Maginot, and 3 billion French francs went into building a series of fortifications called by his name—the Maginot Line—that stretched from the Swiss border to the Ardennes Forest. Included were 108 massive forts at 9-mile intervals, connected by tunnels and manned by thousands of soldiers. It was a massive project aimed at providing France a strong wall of defense on its border.

Maginot died of typhoid fever in 1932 without realizing his major life’s work was largely a waste of time and money. He had based his strategy on what had happened in the past, and it was purely defensive in nature. He thought in terms of the trench warfare he had experienced in World War I. He failed to grow with the times. He did not discern the shifting technologies of war; his mind was so shaped by past experience he was unable to anticipate how easily a modern enemy could circumvent his defensive plans. He didn’t expect someone like Adolf Hitler to create new pathways into France nor the forceful speed of the blitzkrieg nor the power of Hitler’s modern tanks plowing through the thick Ardennes Forest as if it were a wheat field.

When German forces invaded France in World War II, they swiftly went around both sides of the Maginot Line, occupying France and trapping the British Expeditionary Forces at Dunkirk.

The Maginot Line has become a symbol of our tendency to think within the context of past experience rather than current reality and future potential.

As the Bible frequently reminds us, followers of Christ are fighting battles every day, and we are engaged in continual combat with the world around us, the devil against us, and the flesh within us. Our culture is increasingly anti-Christian. As we draw nearer to the final events in world history, it’s paramount for us to maintain personal commitment to growth, advancement, progress, and success in our walk with Christ.

We’re thankful for our memories, but we can’t settle down there. We’re grateful for what we’ve already learned, but we can’t be satisfied with it. We need to constantly learn more about God, more about His Word, and more about His work. We must adopt Paul’s attitude in Philippians 3:13-14: “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

It’s easy to stop growing, isn’t it?

After all, we’re biologically programmed to stop growing at some point. We reach four feet, five feet, or six feet, or, on rare occasions, seven feet in height; then we stop growing taller and begin growing wider if we aren’t careful. Physically, we reach a point of biological maturity. But that isn’t true of our mind or soul.

In his final letter the apostle Peter appealed to his readers to keep growing in faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. “Grow,” he said, “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-7; 3:18).

There is always something new to learn in God’s Word, for His Scripture is ever fresh. We cannot plumb the depths of its promises and precepts. And there is always progress needed in how we love others, how we spread cheerfulness, how we perfect personal holiness, and how we serve the Lord. Though outwardly perishing, we should be renewed day by day. Your marriage should improve, not deteriorate. Your relationship with your children, so far as it depends on you, should grow sweeter.

That’s why we must learn to pray, “Lord, as much as I know, teach me more! I don’t want to merely survive. I want to thrive! I want to press onward toward the goal.”

 

Take Inventory

Begin by taking a spiritual inventory of your condition. Many of us visit our doctor each year for a physical examination designed to promote good health and detect illness. The Great Physician does the same with our souls. The writer of Psalm 139 invited this, praying, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (verses 23-24).

What about you? How’s your spiritual health? Are you thriving? Ask yourself:

 

• Have I made an exciting discovery in the Bible recently?
• Have I worked on memorizing a verse of Scripture in the last month?
• Have I gotten too busy to pray?
• Has my church involvement waned?
• Am I serving the Lord as passionately as I once did?
• Has an unhealthy habit taken root?
• Have I gotten into a needless argument recently?
• Am I irritable, or am I growing in the fruit of the Spirit?
• Do I feel excited about telling others what Christ is doing in my life?

 

Take Advice

Having taken honest stock of your condition, perhaps you need help. Some people take the do-it-yourself route and begin correcting whatever is wrong. They’re like someone who steps off the bathroom scales and maps out an exercise program, orders a nutritional cookbook, and begins to make changes.

Other people need coaching. After an illness I had many years ago, I realized I needed a personal trainer to help me recover my physical agility and conditioning. It’s important to enlist others to help you when needed. In terms of your spiritual conditioning, you might want to talk with a pastor, a Bible study leader, or a Christian whose maturity you respect. We’re never too old to ask a mentor:

 

• How do you stay close to God each day?
• What method of Bible study helps you the most?
• How do you plan out your prayer habits?
• What are you reading right now? What books would you recommend?
• Do you know of a discipleship group I can join?
• How do you handle this or that temptation?

 

The specific questions will depend on you, but your heart-attitude will determine how you respond to the answers. In his devotional book I Lift Up My Soul, Charles Stanley suggested we adopt this prayer: “Dear Lord, don’t let my zeal for You grow dim. Don’t let complacency hamper my spiritual growth. Manifest Yourself to me today in a new and deeper dimension.¹

We must always guard against complacency. Zephaniah 1:12 says, “And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency.” In The Pursuit of God, A. W. Tozer wrote, “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people.” Having a good mentor, coach, friend, pastor, or Bible study leader can help you thrive, not just survive.

 

Take the Next Steps a Day at a Time

Now it’s time to put all this into action. John Maxwell did this as a young adult. He recalls a friend who challenged him to develop a plan for personal growth. That night, John talked with his wife and decided to invest $745 in an audio course on personal development. After every tape John determined the “take-away,” one item he could immediately apply. He also set a goal to read two books a month and to make a monthly appointment with someone who could help him grow. Those decisions, Maxwell said, changed him forever.² In his book Today Matters, Maxwell said, “You will never change your life until you change something you do daily."³

Perhaps you’ve been following Christ for months or years or decades. You’ve already learned a lot, but remember—God’s greatness is unsearchable. His qualities are boundless. His Word is bottomless. His work in your life has only begun, and He wants you to bear fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. You don’t yet know it all. You never will! As much as you know, there’s more to learn. How exciting is that! So as the apostle Paul admonished us, let’s define a thriving faith by doing as God has told us: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11, NIV).