Growing in Life

Often I find myself reminding people that growing in God is a process, which is why it's important to enjoy the journey of faith that God has us on...it seems at times b/c of our culture we are made to feel that we always need something else - the grass is greener on the other-side syndrome. As the result, believers in Christ can be made to feel like they need to arrive somewhere in God. When truthfully they've already arrived as they're in Christ today, seated with Him in heavily places, complete, have been given everything pertaining to life and godliness the day they accepted Jesus into their life, and our sons and daughters of the King (Eph 2:6,Col 2:10, 2Pet1:3, 1Jn3:1).

This is why I find myself reminding people that the Christian life is not about trying harder, but learning to receive more...grace is what grows us, not self-effort, which is why only God can grow us, change us, and make us like His Son.

Watching baby J eat His meals is messy, due to the fact that he is learning how to eat. As for Samuel, who is four years older, there is a noticeable improvement. To me this models a lot of the Christan life, as we abide in Him and believe in Him, we grow in Him. We learn to eat without half of the food on our face, on the floor, and in our hair...growing in God is messy, life is messy, and if we are going to love His people we must become ok with mess.

People grow in the soil of grace, not in law...if we want to see people grow in God we better give them room to fail, take risk, and try to feed themselves. Fathering and mothering is what the generation to come will need to become the sons and daughter they're made to be.

"For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel." (1 Cor 4:15)