Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong begins with one of my favorite introductions: “From beginnings humble and small without parallel, to the magnitude of today’s enterprises and world-wide impact is the story of growth unbelievable.”

His autobiography is filled with details on how God’s Work grew. It is fascinating history to me, having been born after his death. But apart from that history, it also caused me to reflect on my own personal growth. There are many lessons to take from it. One of them is this: A true Christian must always strive for constant and consistent growth, no matter how small the increment.

In the 1985 Good News, Mr. Armstrong recounts the inspiring history and small beginnings of the World Tomorrow broadcast and the Plain Truth magazine. He describes the initial radio broadcast on the miniscule radio station kore, then writes, “It could not have started smaller.” But it started to grow!

As new co-workers started supporting Mr. Armstrong, more stations were added. Of this he writes, “Growth was small.” He repeatedly uses similar phrases to describe the growth in God’s Work. When the Plain Truth magazine was launched in 1934 using a borrowed mimeograph, he writes, “Little by little it grew.”

God’s Work grew step by step.

This is often what growth looks like in our lives. We too have beginnings “humble and small.” And God puts before us this lofty goal: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Just like the Philadelphia-era Work God built through Mr. Armstrong, we don’t become perfect in one stretched-out stride. Growth in our spiritual lives or any field or endeavor is far less reliant on one massive single improvement than it is on incremental, consistent change over time. We are familiar with Zechariah 4:10 where we are instructed not to despise the day of small beginnings. We can apply this to our growth along the way as well.

“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18). Here is an analogy we see every day. The sun does not appear at full strength with the flick of a switch as do our modern-day led light bulbs. It does not pause or retreat. Degree by degree, the sun rises above the horizon, shining brighter and brighter. Our path as a Christian is to be just like that—one of continual progress and growth until “the perfect day”!

Like the Proverb above, Mr. Armstrong defined the way of a Christian as one of consistent growth. In an article titled “Conversion Is a Process,” he wrote, “It is the way of a constant battle — a striving against sin — a seeking God in earnest, heart-rending prayer for help and spiritual power to overcome. They are constantly gaining ground. They are constantly growing in God’s knowledge, from the Bible. They are constantly rooting out wrong habits, driving themselves into right habits. They are constantly growing closer to God through Bible study and prayer. They are constantly growing in character, toward perfection, even though not yet perfect.”

To achieve this kind of consistency in growth, we must be in daily contact with God. We must be filling up on God’s Holy Spirit and have our inward man renewed every day as the Apostle Paul writes (2 Corinthians 4:16).

Consistency is the key. Author James Clear makes this point in his book Atomic Habits. Small, positive changes, when compounded by time and consistency, lead to staggering results. He also puts it in mathematical terms. Improving in a skill by 1 percent each day for 365 days means you would be 37 times better at that skill after one year. Imagine that applied to your Bible study, for example. Improving its depth and quality by 1 percent each day will, over time, lead to monumental growth!

This is why our seemingly small decisions each day are of supreme importance. They are either leading us to God’s perfection or steering us from it.

It is easy to feel discouraged when we fail to overcome in a certain area. We must not let it divert us from the Christian path of growth. Remember the title Mr. Armstrong gave his article: “Conversion Is a Process.” One definition of process is “a natural phenomenon marked by gradual changes that lead toward a particular result.” At times it is the accumulation of smaller steps forward that lead us to a breakthrough moment in our spiritual growth.

Growing consistently, even just a little, consistently is the way of a Christian. With God’s direction and power in our lives, we can have this steady growth and the life-changing fruits that accompany it. But we must seek after it!

Strive daily to grow in grace and God’s knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). By consistently seeking growth of any amount, we will move toward the goal. We will conquer the tough problems in our lives and reach milestone achievements.

Go after growth in every area, no matter how small of a step it seems. If we do, our story will be one of growth unbelievable!