How much have you grown and matured?

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “God’s power in you and for you”

Our Bible verse for today: “Do not be children in your thinking, be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.” 1 Corinthians 14:20 (ESV)

Our thought for today: “How much have you grown and matured?”

I read something recently that challenged me to thoughtfully consider where I’m at spiritually these days, especially with in terms of growth and maturity. So, I took some time for introspection – a couple of days to prayerfully review my journals from the past year, as well as my annual goals and objectives from the last five years. In the process I considered questions like, “Did I achieve my goals and objectives?” What challenges have I experienced in the process?” “In what ways did I experience God at work in the middle of those circumstances?” “What did I learn from that and did I grow and mature as a result of it?” And, “Where am I today in terms of spiritual maturity and in my relationship with God?”

I suppose, in some respects, that kind of self-analysis is similar to the growth charts parents keep to track the physical growth of a child. You’ve seen the pictures of a child standing up against the wall and there are marks with dates indicating how tall the child was at a given time in the past and where the child is today. There are powers at work within the body of that child causing growth and maturing to happen over time.

Likewise, there’s a power at work within the Christian that is causing spiritual growth and maturity. It’s the power of God’s Holy Spirit at work within you and that growth can be tracked too. There are indicators. How Christlike have you become over the years in your thinking, attitudes, and conduct? To what degree do you experience and demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit in your life (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.) Can others see Jesus in you?

As a Pastor, there’s no greater joy for me than to see evidence of that growth in the lives of people in our congregation. That is the evidence of the power of God at work within them.

So, where are you at? How much have you grown? I encourage you to do some thoughtful, introspective, self-analysis. (But also, don’t be too hard on yourself. There’s a lot of truth in the old saying, “I know I’m not yet who I should be, but thank God I’m no longer who I used to be.”)

How much have you grown and matured? That is the evidence of God’s power at work in you.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Share this:

Related

Leave a comment Cancel reply