From Fixed to Faithful: Embracing a Growth Mindset in Christ

In the business world, few ideas have reshaped leadership and learning like the growth mindset. Companies from Microsoft to Google have embraced it. Managers are taught to view mistakes as opportunities, to reward curiosity, and to see feedback not as criticism but as fuel for improvement.

The logic is simple: when people believe they can grow, they do. They take risks, learn faster, and stay resilient when things go wrong. Teams with this mindset innovate more and recover quicker. It’s not just motivational, it’s transformational.

What fascinates me most is how this principle echoes something much older and deeper. Long before it became a business buzzword, the gospel proclaimed a far greater truth: God created us not to stay stuck, but to grow.

A fixed mindset says, “This is just who I am."

”A growth mindset says, “I can change, learn, and become more.”

And the gospel says, “By God’s grace, you are being transformed.”

When I first encountered this connection, it helped to reframe how I see spiritual growth, not as a self-help project, but as God’s patient, ongoing work in our hearts. And when you reflect on the gospel, you see: this is exactly what Jesus modeled and invited us into.

The Problem with a Fixed Faith

I’ve been here. That place where your struggle feels permanent. That voice whispering: “You’ll always mess up. You’ll never change.”

That’s the voice of a fixed mindset, and it’s not foreign to our faith journey either. We can believe our spiritual life is static. Have you ever thought:

• “I’m just the kind of person who ___. I’ll always behave that way.”

• “My past mistakes mean I don’t qualify for more.”

• “If I haven’t changed by now, I guess I’m stuck.”

Research in psychology shows that people with a fixed mindset avoid challenges, give up easily, and feel threatened by the success of others. They believe their intellect or potential is “set.”

But the gospel proclaims something very different.

Philippians 1:6 (ESV) reminds us:

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Our faith isn’t just about standing still, it’s about becoming more like Christ. God doesn’t see us as finished products. We are works in progress.

When we fall, the fixed mindset says: “You failed, so you’re disqualified. ”The gospel says: “You fell. Now let’s walk together and rise.”

The Growth Mindset Jesus Modeled

If anyone could’ve viewed people as fixed, it was Jesus. He saw every weakness, every flaw, every broken part. And yet He didn’t define people by what they were. He pointed to what they could become.

• He looked at Simon, impulsive and unstable, and renamed him Peter - “the rock.”

• He looked at Saul, a persecutor of the church, and turned him into Paul - the apostle.

• He looked at us, imperfect and flawed, and invited us into fullness.

Think of it like athletics: A rookie basketball player may miss shots, struggle with defense, and get benched. Then a coach comes in, drills fundamentals, builds trust, explains strategy, gives feedback, and eventually that rookie grows into a starter. That’s growth mindset in action. Jesus did that spiritually with mercy, presence, teaching, and transformation.

Philippians 2:5–8 (ESV) says:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus… who humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Right standing with God isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being connected. It’s about change. It’s about growth.

What Psychology Teaches Us (and Faith Confirms)

The concept of fixed vs. growth mindset comes from research showing how our beliefs about our abilities affect our behavior. People with growth mindsets embrace challenges, learn from criticism, and find inspiration in others’ success. They believe improvement is possible.

In our spiritual lives, this translates into:

• Embracing our weakness, not to stay weak, but to let God strengthen us.

• Seeing mistakes not as identity proof (“I’m a failure”) but as learning opportunities (“What can God teach me here?”).

• Celebrating others’ growth rather than feeling threatened, because their progress doesn’t diminish our story; it magnifies God’s.

In Scripture, we see this over and over: David rises from shepherd to king; Adam & Eve fall, but the story moves toward redemption; Paul was once an enemy of the gospel, now its champion. Growth is built into the story of God’s people.

Cultivating a Growth-Mindset Faith

What does it look like for us, practically, to live with a growth mindset in our faith?

1. Reframe struggles as opportunities. When you face a setback or sin, instead of saying, “I’ll never change,” you say, “How is God working in this?” The gospel doesn’t hide our struggles; it uses them to deepen our dependence on God.

2. Develop spiritual habits with patience. Just like a runner doesn’t train for a marathon one day and wake up race-ready the next morning, spiritual growth takes rhythm. 1 Timothy 4:7–8 uses athlete training language: “Train yourself for godliness.” Faith isn’t passive, it’s participation in God’s work.

3. Mark progress, even when it’s slow. Growth mindset research says acknowledging small wins builds confidence. In faith, we don’t need big “mountaintop moments” every week. A minute of honest prayer, a step of kindness, a moment of repentance, these things matter.

4. Surround yourself with others who are growing. Growth flourishes in community. When we see someone else growing, we should be inspired instead of intimidated. Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV) says: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” Growth often happens when we encourage each other.

So Let Me Ask You (as I ask myself):

• Do I believe God can genuinely change me, or have I settled for “this is just who I am”?

• Where am I living as if growth is impossible rather than possible?

• Am I giving others the grace to change or holding them to who they were?

• In recent struggles, have I asked, “What is God growing in me?” instead of “Why am I failing again?”

• What spiritual habit can I choose this week that says, “I believe I can grow”?

A Closing Encouragement

The gospel is the ultimate growth story. Jesus doesn’t just overlook our faults, He redeems them, uses them, and transforms them.

When you feel stuck, change directions. When you feel failed, remember your identity in Christ. When you doubt your potential, trust the Potter who said, “You are not dust, you are clay.”

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:13, ESV) He’s guiding you now.

Don’t settle for a fixed faith. Walk with a growth mindset rooted in Christ’s transformation.

Until the journey is complete,

Jonathan Pilgrim

P.S. This week, pick one area of your life where you’ve believed “I can’t change.” Instead of giving up, ask God: “What next step do You want me to take?” Then take it. Growth often begins in one small, obedient step.