Grow
…that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may GROW up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ. – Ephesians 4:14-15 NKJV.
Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may GROW thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. – 1 Peter 2:1-3 NKJV.
You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but GROW in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. – 2 Peter 3:17-19 NKJV.
The “Llizarov Procedure” is still very popular in China and the numbers having the procedure done are increasing. The Llizarov Procedure consists of breaking of the bones of the leg and then placing adjustable leg braces on them to pull the bones apart. The braces are adjusted manually three or four times a day. The purpose of the painful procedure is to grow taller, and people endure the painful process hoping that they will reap benefits by being taller. A 5-foot-tall woman going through the procedure once said, “I’ll have a better job, a better boyfriend, and eventually a better husband. It’s a long-term investment.” She hoped eventually to grow to be four inches taller although I have not heard whether or not she reached her goal.
It is almost incomprehensible what some people are willing to do to grow a little taller! Physical growth may provide some benefits for some people; however, there is another kind of growth from which we will always reap benefits. That other kind of growth is spiritual growth. In order to grow spiritually we must have a desire to do so, and we must continually work at the process by taking advantage of all of the resources of God. Spiritual growth is not an easy process, but it can happen in your life just as it has for countless others through the ages.
We cannot grow spiritually if we do not take advantage of the resources that God has given to us at great cost (Romans 8:32). We must daily have an input of God’s Word (Matthew 4:4) or we will not grow. We must continuously be in an attitude of prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18) or we will not grow. We must faithfully be a part of a local body of believers (Hebrews 10:24-25) or we will not grow.
To grow spiritually, we must take advantage of the resources that God has given to us at great cost, and we must also put into practice the teachings of Jesus, or we will not grow. We should love God with all our hearts mind and soul and our neighbors as ourselves. We should do unto others as we would have them do unto us. We should serve others just as Jesus did and we should be obedient to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). We should strive to be obedient always to everything our Lord would have us to do using Him as our example, following in His steps.
Growing spiritually is not an easy process, but it is the process that every Christian is called to go through. We will not complete the process on this earth as long as we are clothed in human flesh. However, some great, wonderful, glorious day when we meet our Lord face-to-face the process will be completed, and we will be like Him.
(Spiritual growth is a process that every child of God should be a part of on a continuous basis.)