Grow

Several years ago, we planted some new shrubs.  I loved the variegated colors of the leaves and was so excited at their potential.  Well, those shrubs aren't much bigger than when we planted them. No, they're not dead but they sure don't look anything like their pictures!

 

The great 18^th Century preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon, proposed this consideration of Christians: How important is it that we should grow not only in grace, but in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?  The last two Wednesday nights, my pastor addressed a long-forgotten and rarely-spoken word – sanctification.  The sanctification of the Believer is the on-going process of spiritual growth, becoming more like Christ.  Just like infants progress from drinking milk from a bottle to a sippee cup to a glass, so a Believer’s spiritual life should be ever-moving toward maturity.  Pastor Tim noted a profound observation and conclusion:  although it may be normal that a Christian isn’t growing spiritually, it is not normal.  I’ve pondered this in my own spiritual life and determined for too many of my adult years, I found myself rather content to sit in spiritually tepid water – neither hot nor cold -- just kinda-sorta comfortable.  How content would I be with kinda-sorta good car performance or kinda-sorta good electricity?  Truth is, kinda-sorta doesn't compare to good!  Yet, the acceptable-normal for most Christians is to sit in lukewarm spiritual waters, and comfortably so.  Daniel described a people who “know their God … stand firm.” (Daniel 11:32).  Who are these people?  Well, they're not those who prefer a kinda-sorta faith!  Rather, they are identified as people who aren't “carried away with the error of lawless people,” who do not lose their “stability but grow in the grace and knowledge” of Christ. (2 Peter 17-18).  I fear there are many long-time Christians who are still walking around being spiritually nourished from bottles and sippee cups.  The days of an evil generation are upon us, and perhaps poor spiritual nourishment will begin to show in how we stand -- weakly or firmly -- for Christ.  It's time for what is normal "thus saith the Lord" – for what He prescribes as normal to be the standard for His faithful.  We may be a generation of stunted growth, nonetheless until He returns let’s press on toward Christ – grow!