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Keep on Growing

“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”¹

A schoolteacher who was bypassed for a promotion went to her administrator and complained, “I have twenty years of experience, and you promoted someone who had only been teaching five years.” The administrator replied, “No, you don’t have twenty years of experience. You have one year of experience twenty times. You’re still teaching the same things and in the same way you did your first year. You haven’t grown in your profession.”

When we come to Christ, and start our faith journey, the goal is to grow, to develop, to become effective representatives of Christ to the world. Unfortunately, some come to Christ and become stagnant in their spiritual growth. They get comfortable being spiritually fed and watching others serve but fail to take the next steps in their growth process. Years and years go by, and while they continue receiving so much information about the Bible, they fail to put it into practice. Instead of being active members in the body of Christ, they become comfortable doing as little as possible, which stunts their growth and they become ineffective in helping others grow as well.

I was a teacher for 13 years and things were constantly changing. Over the years, the State started requiring the children to know more before moving on to the next grade. However, developmentally, children are all different and learn through different methods. My job as a teacher was to be creative, flexible, and ensure the growth and success of each student, while still being sure to meet State standards. In the same way, we, as Christians, are to continually find creative ways to communicate the gospel to others in this changing society, but always adhere to the truth of God’s Word. As we study Scripture and spend time with God, we will grow and learn to successfully do the special work God has for us.

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, I want to keep growing and learning to be more like Jesus. Keep me from getting stuck and failing to pursue a deeper relationship with you. And as I grow, give me the creativity to share the gospel with others in a way that they understand. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

1. Ephesians 4:15-16 (NLT).

 

Today’s Encounter was written by: Crystal B.