All about Growing

April 18

That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures. Josiah Gilbert Holland

Life is all about growing. Our bodies are designed to renew themselves. They are programmed to provide healing for injuries and strengthening for weaknesses. Children have growth spurts that enable them to attain greater height and strength, and these spurts are accompanied by clumsiness because it takes a while for the bigger body to become accustomed to itself.

In the spiritual realm, we must grow, too, and our increase in spiritual stature brings a penchant for stumbling, for bungling along, just as does growth in the natural realm. The Lord wants us to grow in spiritual power and He desires that we use the increase to bring glory to His name. Jesus is honored when we exercise the gifts in the spirit that He says are ours.

The biggest hindrance to our appropriation of our spiritual gifts is the fact that we are inhibited by our reason. It is difficult to reach out for greater spiritual gifting when we are bound by the logic that serves us through our day-to-day employment of our natural gifts. We don't anticipate the power of the Lord working through us to accomplish His goals or our good, so we refrain from endeavoring to see it at work.

But once we reap success in that area, we hunger to see it all the time. When the Lord prevents our gleaning spiritual outcomes it is because HE wants us to have enduring results. If we are too successful, we won't strive for the highest we can achieve but we will settle for the 'quick fix' outcomes that do not reflect true spiritual growth and power but give us merely short-term gratification.

God doesn't want us to be satisfied with short term achievements that fade like the grass (Isaiah 40:8); rather, HE wants us to be grounded in long-term lessons of the Word that involve living faithfully, lovingly, joyfully—all these things are wrought through abiding with Him (John 15:4)—so we can bear fruit for the Kingdom rather than merely enjoy His gifts.

If it seems these things come slowly, it is because He knows the treasures that endure are those that grow gradually, those that come with abiding in Jesus and allowing Him to “give the increase” (I Corinthians 3:7) to our spiritual gifts.

May we be so in tune with Him that we can allow Him to enrich us by those slow, steady increments that strengthen us—and that last. May we not be allured by the 'flash in the pan' of increase that fades rapidly away; rather, may we be endued with the power of the steady, daily increase of our surrender to Him as He grows His perfect fruit in us.

Be not like the grass of temporal pursuits that withers, but be like the sturdy oak of the Word that endures forever, that never fades away (Isaiah 40:8).