It's time to GROW UP!

Friday, June 11th, 2010

Today's Passage: Ephesians 4:11-15
Memory Verses: Eph. 4: 14-15

All around us,  we see signs of growth and maturity.  Students in the 5th grade are on their way to middle school, and those who've completed middle are headed for the high school.  The greater the level of maturity, the greater amount of choices young people seem to have.  Once done with high school, some may choose to enter the military and take the longer route to college, while others may decide to go immediately so that they can find themselves in the work force at a later time.  Still others may not go down the path of education, but might begin a career.  But whatever the decision, some steps will be made in the forward direction.

Never in all my days have I heard a young person say, "This path is too hard for me.  I think I'll go back to the grade I just came from."  On the contrary, it's almost second nature for them to GROW no matter how uncertain or hard the path ahead looks.  My question for today is this: why is it so hard for us to do the same in our Christian walk?  In every other area of our lives, it's very normal to advance to a greater level than where we were before as time goes by.  On a job, we think something's wrong with a person who doesn't make strides towards becoming a supervisor after working there for a considerable amount of time.  So why would we think the opposite in the spirit realm?

Today's passage reminds us that the whole purpose of becoming saved, coming to church, and hearing the Word on a regular basis is so that we can -- there's that word again -- GROW up in all things into Him (Christ) Who is the head.  What would it look like if a baby were born with an adult's head, and its body never grew to be proportionate with the head, but stayed in its childlike form all its life?  It would be an abnormality.  In the same manner, God desires for us to take on the things of Him so well that we throw away the childish things and grab a hold of the things for which we were created.

The things you struggled with as a baby Christian should no longer be the same things you struggle with today.  Take a look around you: if you're blessed like I am to attend a church where the unadulterated word is preached, you are being equipped even now to bring maturity into the lives of others.  Every day that you live should be a day God is preparing you for more of Him.  Don't be deceived by the enemy into thinking you have all the time in the world.  Actually, we're the bride being prepared for the bridegroom.  So I encourage you today to re-arrange your thinking to reflect God's heart on the matter.  We ALL are expected to come into the unity of the faith, putting away childish habits, attitudes, and desires so that we may unite with one another in Christ.  No more excuses, saints: it's time to GROW UP.  

Prayer:  Father, everything You prepared for me to experience in Your church is so that I can join with my brothers and sisters in the body to accomplish Your end-time harvest.  Please give me a heart that is filled with the desire to grow up into the things of You.  No more will I allow myself to remain childlike in my mindsets and expectations of others.  I will depend on Your Spirit to take me to places in You that I need to advance to.  I speak and declare that I am going to new and greater levels for Your glory.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.