Growing in the Lord

Growing is a natural process that must occur in our daily lives. We grow from being an infant to adulthood over a certain period of time. Yet, not too many people have come to the realization of this fact. For instance, if a child refuses to grow, the parent will not be happy and very concerned. For sure they will seek all medical help to understand why their child is not growing.

Spiritual growth is equally important as physical growth. 2 Peter 3:18 says "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". Important to note that God becomes your spiritual father when you give your life to Christ (John 1:12). So God becomes unhappy when you as his child refuse to grow just as a natural father will not be happy with his kid who has refused to grow. The Christian faith is a personal walk with God which requires a deliberate choice to undertake. You do not just grow because you get born again, but you grow because you hunger and thirst after it; Matthew 5:6 says "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled".

There is an exact parallel between physical growth and spiritual growth—except perhaps that spiritual growth is less measurable. Spiritual growth cannot be demonstrated by marks on a door-frame. Still, there are many similarities. When we come to know Jesus Christ as our Savior, we receive a new nature, and we become God's children—spiritual infants. All the potential for our spiritual life is given to us at the moment we trust Christ, because the Holy Spirit comes to live within us, never to leave us. At point of salvation, we start our "bottle-feeding" process of being a disciple. Being taught the basic elementary teaching of Christianity. However, this "bottle-feeding" is not supposed to go on for a lifetime. As you grow in your understanding, you will become able to digest and assimilate the meat of God's Word on your own. You'll be able to study and apply the Scripture for yourself.

God's goal for each of His children is maturity. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:12-13, "Prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" .

Grow in the Lord. Grow towards the potential that God has planted in your lives.