Growing Spiritually

"he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion."

(Ph'p 1:6)

Spring is just around the corner! Many will begin to think of planting gardens, or the benefits of going to the store and buying fresh veggies. The trouble though with buying fruits or vegetables at stores, is that fruit is often picked unripened so it won't bruise during shipping to the stores. Before sold, these are sprayed with CO2 gas to give them ripened appearance instantly. While edible, they are no match to the flavor of a fruit or vegetable that is allowed to mature slowly.

The same is true for the fruits of the Spirit in my life. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, takes time and while we worry about how fast we’re growing, God is concerned about how strong we grow. Hebrews 11 is a testament to the fact that growth comes early for some, and there are others that it takes all the way to the point old age before we ever achieve what God considers “mature faith.” The reason is that this maturity takes time and experience to achieve, it is not something that we can “gas” and then expect to be mature tomorrow. Faith is achieved one bit, one victory at a time. There will be some costly battles, some wins, many losses and the constant necessity to push forward. It is interesting that the first time that we perceive the Lord knocking on the door, most of us are resistant and defensive. At this point in our lives, we feel that Jesus is “standing at the door and bombing!” It is not until after we come to know the truth, that we understand that it was only a “knock.” We may think we have surrendered our life to him, but the truth is, there is a lot to our life that we aren't even aware of that still needs growing and ripening.

The scripture that we referenced above assures us that we are never alone in any of this. God has promised that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion (Ph’p.1:6)." Every struggle, every battle – HE is there! And there is something for us to learn, observe or do in each one that stands to help us mature into what God sees in me. Jacob (meaning the "supplanter” or one who causes to stumble), had to wrestle an angel (Gen.35) before he would grow to be called Israel (God will rule).

Growing up doesn’t stop after we turn twenty, it’s just getting started, and will continue until the day that we draw our last breath (Ph'p.3:12-15).