If You Want to Be a Strong Christian: This Is How to Truly Follow Christ | Biblical Wisdom

If you want to be a strong Christian, this is how to truly follow Christ. Let's get one thing straight from the beginning. God isn't looking for perfection.

He's looking for surrender. We've confused the idea of being a better Christian with being busier, louder, or more impressive. We think it means having more scriptures memorized, more church activities filled in, or more Instagram captions with Bible verses.

But let me ask you this. When was the last time your heart broke, just thinking about Jesus? When was the last time you opened your Bible?

Not out of duty, but out of desperation. When was the last time your prayer wasn't scripted, but raw, messy, real? Being a better Christian doesn't mean checking more religious boxes.

It means knowing God more deeply and reflecting him more clearly. This world doesn't need more fake perfection. It needs real transformation.

It needs Christians who don't just claim the title but carry the cross. It needs believers who don't just go to church but are the church. It needs people like you to rise up, grow up, and step into everything God created you to be.

This message isn't about shame. It's about calling because deep down, you know you were made for more. You weren't just saved to survive this life.

You were saved to shine. So, if you're ready to break the cycle of spiritual laziness, if you're tired of staying stuck in the same sins, the same doubts, the same small version of your faith, then lean in. Because this isn't just about being better.

This is about being transformed. Number one, return to your first love. Fall in love with Jesus again.

Let's be honest, most of us didn't start our faith cold. We started on fire. Remember that when Jesus first opened your eyes, when grace hit you like a wave and everything changed.

You couldn't stop praying. Couldn't stop worshiping. Couldn't stop telling people about this savior who rescued you.

But somewhere along the way, the fire faded. Life got busy. Church got routine.

The passion got replaced with performance. And now you still believe, but you're running on empty. You know his name, but you barely hear his voice.

You serve him, but you've forgotten how to sit with him. And here's what Jesus says to you. I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen. Repent and do the works you did at first. In Revelation 2:45, he's not scolding you.

He's calling you back. Because love is not a one-time moment. It's a daily choice.

And if you want to be a better Christian, you don't start by doing more for God. You start by being more with God. Falling in love with Jesus again isn't about hype.

It's about heart. It's about waking up and whispering, "Jesus, I miss you. " It's about making room again.

Not just on Sundays, but on Mondays, in traffic, at work, in silence, in tears. It's about going back to the secret place, not because you have to, but because you can't breathe without it. You want your passion back.

Start pursuing him again. You want your joy back? Make him your first thought, not your last resort.

You want to grow in your faith? Get back to your first love because everything you need flows from him. Number two, don't just read the word.

Let the word read you. You've got a Bible, maybe even three, you highlight verses, share them online, maybe even memorize some. But here's the truth you need to hear.

The Bible isn't just something you read. It's something that reads you. God's word is not a textbook.

It's a sword, a mirror, a fire. It doesn't just sit on a page. It cuts deep into your motives, your thoughts, your soul.

Hebrews 4:12 says, "The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. But you can't be transformed by a word you only glance at. You can't be shaped by scriptures you don't surrender to.

You can't be filled with truth if all you feed on is Instagram captions and Tik Tok quotes. This isn't about legalism. It's about life.

You will never become a better Christian if the Bible is optional in your life. Because here's what happens when you really let the word get inside you. It convicts you.

It comforts you. It shows you who you really are. And then it tells you who God says you can be.

Stop treating the Bible like a checklist. Start treating it like your daily bread. Open it with a hungry heart.

Ask the Holy Spirit to speak. Don't rush through a verse. Wrestle with it.

Don't skip the hard parts. Let them shape you. Some of the biggest breakthroughs in your walk with God won't come from emotional highs.

They'll come from quiet moments where a verse slices through your pride and shows you who you are without Christ. This world is filled with voices, opinions, lies, distractions. But the voice of God is already written, already available, already alive.

So what's stopping you? A dusty Bible leads to a dry spirit. But a Bible that's open leads to a life that's overflowing.

Number three, prayer isn't a task. It's a lifeline. Let's get real for a second.

Prayer isn't easy when you don't feel heard. You bow your head, say the right words, wait, and sometimes it feels like nothing happens. So slowly prayer becomes a chore, a ritual, a checklist.

You pray before meals, at church, maybe before bed, but the fire, the desperation, the intimacy, it's gone. Here's the problem. You've made prayer a duty when it was always meant to be a lifeline.

Prayer is not about impressing God with big words. It's about inviting him into your reality. God doesn't need fancy phrases.

He wants your heart. When Jesus prayed, he wasn't performing. He was pouring himself out.

When David prayed, he cried, yelled, begged, rejoiced. When Paul prayed, it was war. Groaning, interceding, contending, and yet we sit silent, pretending everything's fine.

Let me say this clearly. You can't be a strong Christian with a weak prayer life. Because prayer is where the battle is fought and won.

It's where chains are broken, where clarity is restored, where peace is poured out. The enemy doesn't fear a Christian who sings loud but never prays. He fears the one who hits their knees in private and shakes heaven.

So, how do you pray better? Start small, but start real. Turn off the noise.

Silence the phone and talk to God like he's actually listening because he is. Tell him your fears. Confess your sin.

Ask for wisdom. Cry out for breakthrough. And then just sit.

Listen. Wait. Prayer is not a one-way performance.

It's a two-way relationship. And the more you pray, the more you'll sense him, the more you'll hear him, the more you'll know him. Being a better Christian doesn't mean praying longer.

It means praying deeper. And when you realize prayer isn't a duty, but a lifeline, you'll never want to go a day without it. Number four, stop striving.

Learn to walk in the spirit. If you're exhausted trying to do better as a Christian, maybe it's because you're doing it without the Holy Spirit. Let's be clear, you were never meant to live the Christian life in your own strength.

You can't white knuckle your way to holiness. You can't grind your way into godliness. The Christian life isn't hard without the spirit.

It's impossible. Jesus didn't just die for you. He sent his spirit to live in you.

And yet so many believers are still striving instead of surrendering, trying to be better Christians with no power source, trying to fix themselves without the helper. The Holy Spirit isn't a theological idea. He's not just a church buzzword.

He's the person of God who lives inside you to guide you, convict you, teach you, fill you, empower you. And here's the truth. If you don't learn to walk with him, you will keep walking in circles, falling into the same sins, getting stuck in the same cycles, living from emotion instead of obedience.

Galatians 5:16 says it plainly, "Walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. " Not maybe, not if you try hard enough. If you walk with the spirit, your life changes.

So what does it mean to walk in the spirit? It means you consult God before you move. You listen before you speak.

You lean in when he convicts. You let him lead even when it doesn't make sense. And sometimes it means waiting when your flesh wants to rush.

It means praying when your pride wants to act. It means letting go when your heart wants to hold on. You don't need more willpower.

You need more yielding. So stop trying harder and start surrendering deeper. Wake up and say, "Holy Spirit, I can't do today without you.

" Pause before you respond and whisper. Guide me. Let him flood your thoughts.

Shift your desires. Shape your reactions. Because the most powerful Christians aren't the loudest.

They're the ones who are led. Number five, you can't grow alone. Find godly community.

Let's kill the lie right now. You were never meant to follow Jesus alone. Spiritual isolation is one of Satan's favorite weapons.

Because if he can't destroy you, he'll just separate you from the people who would call you out, lift you up, and walk beside you. You want to grow as a Christian? Then stop trying to do it solo.

Even Jesus surrounded himself with disciples. Even the early church was built on community. The Bible calls us the body of Christ.

And no body part can survive disconnected. But let's be honest, some of you have church trauma. You've been hurt by people who claim to be Christian.

You've been judged, ignored, misunderstood. I get it. That pain is real.

But don't let that pain isolate you from the healing God wants to send through others. Real Christian community isn't about perfection. It's about presence.

It's about surrounding yourself with people who love Jesus and won't let you settle for spiritual mediocrity. You need friends who will pray for you when you can't pray for yourself, who will check your attitude, who will remind you of your calling when you're ready to give up, who will cry with you, worship with you, and fight alongside you. And if you don't have that, then start asking God for it.

Start seeking it. Start being it. Be the kind of friend you're praying for.

Join a Bible study. Show up. Reach out.

Get planted in a church. Not because it's perfect, but because it's necessary. Lone wolves become easy prey.

But believers who walk together. That's a spiritual force hell can't handle. You weren't saved to sit alone.

You were saved to link arms with the body of Christ. To be sharpened, challenged, encouraged, and sent. Because better Christians aren't built in isolation.

They're built in community. Number six, kill compromise before it kills you. You can't live fully for God and still flirt with the world.

Let's say it plainly, compromise will destroy your calling. And if you don't kill it, it will kill your passion, your purpose, your power. The problem today is not that we don't love Jesus.

It's that we also love everything he died to save us from. We want just enough of God to feel good, but not enough to be changed. We want the blessing without the boundary, the cross, without the crucifixion, the anointing, without the altar.

But it doesn't work like that. God will not bless the areas of your life that you refuse to surrender. He will not pour his power into a vessel still clinging to sin.

You can't walk in freedom while making peace with the very thing that's enslaving you. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed. Transformation doesn't happen while you're still comfortable with compromise.

" And here's the thing, it always starts small. Just a little gossip, just a little pride, just a little secret sin you think nobody sees. But what you tolerate today will dominate you tomorrow.

Compromise is subtle. It doesn't knock down the front door. It sneaks in through the cracks.

And before you know it, your convictions are dulled. Your fire is gone. And you're wondering why you feel so far from God.

Listen, he hasn't moved. You have. Being a better Christian doesn't mean being perfect.

It means being honest enough to deal with what's keeping you from him. So, what do you need to cut off? What sin have you been excusing?

What habit have you been justifying? What secret are you hoping no one ever brings into the light? God already sees it and he's not here to shame you.

He's here to free you, but you've got to choose. You can't carry your cross and your compromise at the same time. So, if you're serious about growing, it's time to get serious about letting go.

Number seven, live on mission. You're not just saved to sit. Here's a truth that will change how you live.

You weren't just saved from something. You were saved for something. Too many believers are sitting on their calling.

Going to church every week, but never stepping into purpose. Saved, but silent, redeemed, but inactive. Listen to me.

Heaven didn't rescue you so you could blend in. Jesus didn't die so you could be comfortable. You were called to make war in the spirit, not just warm a seat.

Matthew 5:14 says, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. But some of us are still trying to dim our light to fit in with darkness.

" That's not humility. That's disobedience. You were not made to be invisible.

You were made to carry Christ everywhere you go. At your job, in your family, on your campus, at the grocery store. Ministry is not a microphone.

It's your life. Every conversation is a chance to reflect Jesus. Every act of love is a chance to shift eternity.

Every decision is a declaration. Who do I really belong to? God has assigned you to people.

People who need your story. People who will only meet Jesus because you showed up. People who are drowning in darkness while you hold the light.

So don't hide it. Don't waste it. Don't wait.

You don't need a title to be used by God. You don't need a platform to live with purpose. You just need obedience.

When you say yes to God in the ordinary, he does the extraordinary. Better Christians don't just avoid sin. They advance the kingdom.

So get moving. Pray boldly. Speak truth.

Serve humbly. Give generously. Love fiercely.

Because when you finally realize your life is a mission, you'll never live passively again. Number eight, stand firm. The war is real, but so is your victory.

Let's be clear. The moment you gave your life to Christ, you stepped into a war. Not a war with people, not with politics, but a war in the spirit, between light and darkness, truth and lies, heaven and hell.

And if you don't recognize that, you will never last. Too many Christians are shocked when life gets hard. Shocked when temptation shows up.

Shocked when attacks come out of nowhere, but you weren't promised ease. You were promised victory. Ephesians 6 doesn't say if the day of evil comes.

It says when you will be tested. You will face resistance. You will be tempted to give up, give in, and go quiet.

But you weren't called to be a coward. You were called to be a soldier. You don't fight for victory.

You fight from victory because Jesus already won. Hell has already lost. And your job is to stand firm.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:10 11 says, "Armor up.

" Because the enemy isn't scared of Christians who attend church. He's scared of Christians who know how to stand. Not in your own strength, but in God's.

Not by trying harder, but by trusting deeper. Not by running, but by planting your feet in truth and refusing to move. This is how better Christians are forged.

Not in comfort, but in combat. You want to grow. Learn to fight.

Fight for your faith. Fight for your purity. Fight for your calling.

Fight for your family. Fight on your knees in prayer when everything in you wants to quit. And know this, you're not fighting alone.

God is with you. Heaven is backing you. The spirit is empowering you.

So when the pressure increases, don't retreat. Stand firm. Stand strong.

Stand in faith because the war is real, but so is your victory. Conclusion. You don't need to be perfect.

You just need to be available. Let's bring it all home. You don't need to be the smartest.

You don't need to have it all together. You don't need a title, a degree, a stage, or a platform. You just need to be available.

God isn't looking for perfect people. He's looking for surrendered ones. People who are willing to say, "Here I am, Lord.

Use me. " You don't become a better Christian by trying harder. You become a better Christian by walking closer.

closer to his word, closer in prayer, closer to his spirit, closer with his people, and further from compromise, fear, and comfort. This isn't about chasing religious status. It's about living in relationship with the one who already called you his own.

You want to grow, then go back to the altar. You want more power, go lower in surrender. You want to make a difference, start obeying right where you are.

God has already placed his spirit in you. The question is, will you activate what he's already given? Don't settle for spiritual survival.

Don't coast. Don't pretend. Don't delay.

You were made for more. So start now. Start today.

Say yes again. Let your life be the proof that God can take anyone and do anything. You want to be a better Christian?

Then be available. Be obedient. Be his.