How to Grow
Dec 17th, 2008 by ljkim
So we said there are things we can change, and things we can grow. You can’t “change” and become more patient, you have to grow more patient; you can’t “change” and become deeper and more thoughtful, you have to grow deeper. So how do you do it?
When you grow a plant, you take good seed + good soil + sunlight + right amount of water, and if all goes well the plant will grow. Once you get the hang of it, even though organic growth is not something we can make happen: you can put the right combination of seed and soil and stuff together and pretty much KNOW that it will grow…as long as the seed is good and soil is good, etc.
In the same way spiritual growth is not something we “do” but it’s something we can bring about. How? You look at the Bible and use it to [a] humble yourself, [b] confess, and [c] rely on God’s mercy to forgive you and change you. Genuine humility + genuine confession + genuine reliance on God = x[spiritual growth]
So a person who needs patience can humble himself, confess how wrong it is to be impatient with people (given God’s amazing patience with him), and rely on God’s work to both forgive you completely and change you fro the inside out. Maybe you won’t see a difference in a day, or two days, or three, but you WILL see a difference soon. And if you’re honest about it, you will see that it wasn’t through will power, but God-power; it will almost seem easy. Jesus taught about prayer: Seek and you will find, ask and you will receive, knock (and keep knocking) and the door will be opened… So what are you waiting for?
Here are some examples of things that need to come through “growth”:
- Wisdom – “smart” can come about through decisions, but wisdom (knowing how to use your intellect) needs to grow…
- Neighborly love/compassion – anyone can choose to “act nice”, but genuine care (amidst daily annoyances) for people who are in your life is a matter of spiritual growth
- Humility – real humility needs to be grown…
- Boldness – the deep rooted confidence (not arrogance) that comes from loving God
- Joy – a deep rooted gladness of heart that comes from loving God
- Peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control…
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