No Shortcuts to Growth: How Daily Devotion Transforms Your Faith

Nobody hands a man a baby and instantly turns him into a great father. So what makes you think following Jesus would be any different?

Before I had kids, the idea of holding a baby was mortifying. There is so much that can go wrong! But eventually you get better at the hand-off, at holding the baby just-so to help her burp, at finding the perfect position to get him to stop crying. The repetition, the showing up — that's what does it. And thinking about dads, thinking about fatherhood, can teach us so much about what it's like to follow Jesus. Because nobody becomes like Jesus overnight.

More Than a Sunday Morning Commitment

This is part of a bigger conversation we've been having in our series, More Than Sunday. Here's what it comes down to: the measure of faith isn't how loud you can sing on Sunday, but how you live the other six days of the week. When you put Jesus first, those other six days are filled with meaning and purpose. Your "why" becomes clearer because your life is no longer centered on chasing success, managing appearances, or simply getting through the week.

And yet, so often we have great intentions of focusing on Jesus every day, yet we are paralyzed because church on Sunday is all we know. Questions resonate deep inside of us: What do I do after I said yes? What happens after I'm handed the baby, so to speak? How can I grow and change?

This step derails people who are new to faith, and it stunts the continued spiritual growth of those who have been following Jesus for years.

What Spiritual Formation Actually Means

In his book Invitation to a Journey, Robert Mulholland gives us some helpful language: "Spiritual formation is the process of being formed into the image of Christ for the sake of others."

That statement is rich. It's not a destination you arrive at on a Sunday morning. It's a lifelong process. And the good news is that the earliest followers of Jesus worked this out — and left us a roadmap.

What the First Church Actually Did

If you open your Bible to the book of Acts, you'll find the writer Luke literally telling us how the idea of church took form. Acts 2:42 (NLT) picks up the story right after the apostle Peter preached a sermon where 3,000 people pledged their allegiance to Jesus. We don't have to wonder how they kept the momentum or what their method was for living out their faith. It's written right there:

"All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer." — Acts 2:42 (NLT)

Notice that word: devoted. A process requires a commitment. They didn't do it occasionally — they built their lives on these practices. The thread running through all of this is simple: devotion over time leads to transformation.

Breaking Down the Four Practices

The Apostles' Teaching — This is where spiritual formation begins. We cannot become like Jesus if we don't know Jesus. We cannot follow His way if we are unfamiliar with His words.

Fellowship — And I don't mean the chatting-at-the-coffee-shop kind. The Greek word used here is koinonia, which means shared life, joint participation, or intimacy. Fellowship happens when people share life together — they encourage one another, bear one another's burdens, celebrate victories together, and walk through hardship together.

Sharing in Meals — This included shared meals around a common table as well as the Lord's Supper, remembering the sacrifice and receiving His grace.

Prayer — This wasn't an on-again, off-again activity for the early church. It was a defining characteristic. They understood that if they were going to become the people God called them to be, they would need God's power, God's wisdom, and God's presence. Prayer is where formation moves beyond information.

There Are No Shortcuts

It's becoming very apparent that you can't knock all of this out on Sunday morning, right? There are no shortcuts to formation. In a world that values speed and convenience, we're always looking for a quick fix. But as author James Houston rightly noted, "Spiritual formation is the slowest of all human movements."

When the devotion takes root, though, something remarkable happens. Luke continues in Acts 2:44-47a (NLT):

"And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people."

Formation changes you. And when you are formed, you live differently.

Putting It Into Practice

We are formed by our experiences over time. If your goal is to love Jesus and live for him, it means pledging your allegiance to him — and we can't do it alone. We shouldn't do it alone.

Here are some next steps to move from good intentions to real devotion:

• Open your Bible daily. You cannot become like someone you don't know. Start small — even one chapter a day puts you on the path.

• Find real community. Not just Sunday morning acquaintances, but people who will walk through life with you. Look for koinonia — the kind of relationships that go beyond the surface.

• Share a meal. Invite someone into your home or pull up a chair at someone else's table. Formation often happens around food.

• Pray consistently. Not perfectly — consistently. Make it a conversation, not a performance.

Just like a new dad whose brain is literally rewiring itself through sleepless nights and diaper changes and bedtime routines, you are being changed by the daily practices of following Jesus. The daily devotion isn't just changing your schedule. It's changing you — and slowly, faithfully, forming you into the image of Christ.