Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas
“Be patient. God isn’t finished with me yet,” is a sign we often saw several years ago. The message is true. We are works in progress.
We rejoice at the birth of a baby, when he cuts his first tooth, takes his first steps, says his first words… but before we know it, he has breezed into the teen years, then adulthood comes all too soon, and he’s holding a babe of his own.
Scriptures compare the Christian life to our physical growth.
Baptism is referred to as the new birth. First Peter 2:2-3 reads, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
In Hebrews 5:12-14 we read, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”
Romans 12:2 reads, “Be not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Ephesians 4:11-15 tells us, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and from by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
All these scriptures indicate that the Christian life is a growth process. We never read of a point where we stop growing.
In Romans 7 Paul tells of his struggles. He wants to do good and right, but he still struggles with sin.
We, too, will have struggles, but we need to remember Paul’s words in Philippians 3:13-14, “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.”
Satan wants us to stay buried in the past… to remember the wrongs we have done, but growth happens when we put those sins behind us and learn from them. There may be consequences or regrets, but we can’t dwell on it. We must look forward.
So, how do we continue to grow? Think back to childhood… you practiced writing your numbers or letters over and over until it became second nature. You practiced your arithmetic facts so you did not need your fingers to add 3+4.
Likewise, we practice love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).
Ephesians 4:29 reminds us, “let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up.”
Like Paul, we continue to grow… we have a goal, and we keep focused on it. How?
1. Bible study… not just a quick reading. Find a passage and meditate on it.
2. Prayer… we have access to the throne room of the Holy One, and He hears us.
3. Fellowship… surrounded with godly people who can help us grow… remembering a good friend is one willing to confront if he sees us headed the wrong direction, like Nathan did David.
4. Reach out… others are watching. Get to know them and help them walk in the steps of the Savior.
Ephesians 2:10 teaches it is God who is working in us: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Peter closes his letter with, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (3:18). Let’s strive to continue growing until we are called home.
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