A CHILD OF GOD SHOULD BE IN A STATE OF CONTINUOUS GROWTH

We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that He had invited us to share in His wonderful goodness. God made great and marvelous promises, so that His nature would become part of us. Then we would escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world. Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others and love. If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. But if you don’t grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven.    II Peter 1: 3 – 9 (Contemporary English Version)

When a baby is born, its parents naturally expect it to grow, first to become a toddler, and then to be a teenager and from teenager to become an adult. When children become grown-ups, it is equally expected that they are able to think for themselves, take decisions and make right choices based on the training they had received.

As the natural expectations of parents are concerning their new born in the realm of the physical, it is the same way God’s expectations are towards us, his children, in the realm of the spirit. The day we surrendered our lives to Jesus Christ and accepted HIM as our LORD and Personal Savior, we became new born babes, birthed by our heavenly Father in Christ Jesus. Hence naturally, God expects us to grow and keep growing unto maturity. That is why as new born babes, we should desire the sincere milk of the word that we may grow thereby just as the Bible admonishes us.

Again, it is very upsetting and frustrating to a human parent to see her baby, though old enough to be walking, but not yet sitting not to talk of crawling. That exactly is how God feels when a child of God chooses to remain a baby, still needing to be cared for when he or she ought to be wiser, stronger in faith, more consistent in good character and behavior, taking care, teaching, training and making disciples of new Believers. 

Therefore Christians ought not to be content to remain in the babyhood stage but rather to be in a state of perpetual hunger for God, and be ever growing in faith, grace, spiritual strength, understanding and wisdom of the LORD. Adding to his or her faith goodness, understanding, self control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others and love. The way to a continuous growth for a child of God is humility reflected in consistent devotion to spiritual exercises such as praying, study and meditation on God’s Word the Bible, and joining in the gathering of the saints.

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for today, and the word you have spoken to my heart. O LORD grant that I always retain a humble spirit, to continually pursue you, and attend to your word, worship and prayers that I may grow there by in Jesus Name, Amen.