The 5 W’s to spiritual growth. Who, what, when, where and even why.
There are many factors that are our responsibility when it comes to growing deep in Christ. This is of course not an exhaustive list but instead some helpful and practical tips from my life on how to make sure you are on the right track. This is obviously not a very spiritual list but it is a list of things that will aid your spirituality and the steps you are already taking in that regard. To me it is all about creating good soil for which to be planted into. That soil is often our environment. 
The 5 W’s of what not to do in spiritual growth:
Who do you let influence you? If you think the people who make up your environment don’t affect you… you are wrong. Work, friends, family… who ever it is, people will change the atmosphere where they are active in life.
What do you invest your time into? You will never get your time back and yet you use it all up everyday. Did you waste your time on something that is counter productive or possibly destructive? Or did you use it wisely? I personally time block when I feel like I am not being as productive as I could be. This helps me audit my time and get back on track.
Where do you physically go? Do you willingly put yourself into situations that are not good for you? Do you make decisions that bring you back to places that you know will tempt you and cause harm? If you are a chronic spender, don’t go to the mall. If you are an over eater, don’t eat out. If you find that you attract drama, limit social media and replace texting with phone calls.
When. This W brings out a big question. Are you tired and empty when you are needed the most? Did you run out of whens? When work requires us to be present, when when our kids need to talk, when our wives need us engaged…. where are we?
Why is big. If you don’t have a plan and a purpose to what you do every day then you are just going to keep going in circles. Quite often purposeful destruction is as dangerous as not paying attention to your surroundings. This creates a scenario where we slowly turn into a worse version of ourselves until we become someone that we are not meant to be.
It is always easy to figure out what not to do, but let’s add some what to do’s to this statement.
Who: Be present, with who you are with. Take good council seriously. It is important to have friends that can speak into specific areas of your life and help build you up. But remember, advice only goes so far. The action is up to you.
What: What you do is key, but in all you do, make sure you are taking time for soul care. Sleep, read, be in nature, and pray continuously. Try not to spend all your emotional time on others and then forget to recharge your batteries. I have found that an amazing quick recharge for my insides has been going to the gym and throwing on a life giving podcast or some classical music. It has helped me fight depression and keep focussed on the goals I have in life.
Where: In our generation there is a physical and a digital where. I can only make two recommendations if I want to keep this short. Digitally, don’t go anywhere you wouldn’t go with your mom sitting beside you. Physically don’t go anywhere that takes you away from a relationship with Jesus and with church. Remember we are always stronger together.
When: Protect your time. This cannot be stressed enough. From my experience, sleep sleep sleep. When we are well rested we are also our most productive. Even when I think I am being productive while exhausted… I am not. A clear conscious and rested mind can go a long way to accomplishing much.
Why: Make yourself a plan and then stick to it. Living on purpose and for a purpose is the magical receipe for changing the world.
Hopefully this is a helpful list and you can use part or all of it to help tweak your life to becoming more grounded in Jesus and more productive in your life as you live for His purpose.
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