Keep Growing
As Christians we have a responsibility to grow. Paul gave himself as an example to the Philippians: “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). Peter also stressed growth in his letters: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Pet. 3:18).
Maybe you are thinking that there is no more room in your soul for growth, that you have seen it all and that there cannot possibly be more. That’s a dangerous way to think. If you stop growing, you will die.
Have you ever seen those coffee table books with the nature pictures? One man had one of those books open to a beautiful picture of the Rocky Mountains. He looked at it for weeks. It was a double spread where the picture ran from one page onto the next. After a few weeks of looking at it, he decided to turn the page to the next picture. When he did, he discovered that the right-hand page was an extra-long page folded over. When he opened it up it added sixteen inches to the width of the photo. Now the mountains appeared even grander.
Christian growth “unfolds” your soul. Your life at present may present a pretty good picture, but God can find new areas in your life that demand growth and flourishing.
Growth is important to everyone.
It is important for church leaders. In his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell talks about “the law of the lid.” Organizations only grow when their leaders grow. A leader is the “lid” on the organization. If you are a leader, when you grow your organization has more potential for growth. If you are not growing, you will be the lid on your organization’s growth.
It is important for parents. Children do not come with instruction books. At the very least, you are growing at every stage in your children’s lives. In addition to that, as a parent you have a responsibility to model a life for your children that involves spiritual growth. If you are not growing, how do you expect them to?
Growth is important in the lives of new converts. There is such a thing as a “babe in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). The Bible has some harsh words for those who would like to stay infants (Hebrews 5:12 – 14). You have a responsibility to be more than a new convert. But many Christians have not grown an inch since their baptism.
Growth is important for seasoned Christians. Some of you may be thinking, “I’ve been a Christian for forty years! What more can I learn? What improvements can I make? My body seems to be slowing down. How can I grow?”
Growth has nothing to do with what your body is doing: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16).
Don’t be like the person who had been a teacher for twenty-five years. When she heard about a job that would mean a promotion she applied for the position. However, someone who had been teaching for only one year was hired instead. She went to the principal and asked why. The principal responded, “I’m sorry, but you haven’t had twenty-five years of experience as you claim; you’ve only had one year’s experience twenty-five times.” Throughout her whole career that teacher had never improved.
Old age does not equal maturity, spiritually speaking. And even if you have matured, there is no end to the growing God has in store for you. The psalmist says, “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green” (Ps. 92:12-14).
Keep growing! No matter who you are, there are new heights to climb, new horizons to explore, and new adventures to discover.
