Am I the Same or Have I Grown?

I would hope that I am wiser today than I was a year ago on December 30, 2010. As we leave 2011 and head into 2012 most of us will reflect on the past and resolve to improve and grow in physical health, wisdom, and understanding in the future. As adults, hopefully, we have matured and no longer respond to situations as an infant, toddler, or teenager would. Our maturation happens in stages and over time. There is physical change but there should also be emotional, intellectual, and spiritual growth.

The world revolves around a baby and that is the way it should be. A baby is totally dependent but with the passage of time the baby is gradually taught how to become more self sufficient. As the years pass we should leave behind our selfish dependent selves. Our world broadens and we become more aware of the needs of others. We stretch out of our myopic infant box and should demonstrate more selflessness. Each of us is in a different place. Wisdom and maturation isn’t gauged chronologically. It is important to be growing forward and not getting stuck so that we remain in the same place for any length of time. I have known some adults who still react like toddlers, throwing temper tantrums when they get angry. Some adults still think that the earth continues to exclusively revolve around them. Each of us is somewhere between the infant stage and Mother Theresa, being the epitome of selflessness.

God uses the circumstances of life to grow our spirits. Our human spirit is carnal and selfish. When I received Christ as my Savior, the Holy Spirit entered my physical body birthing God’s Spirit within me. This is the second birth which God speaks about in His Word. Read the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in the third chapter of John.
We are mind, body, and spirit. Each part of us must be nurtured. We would not want to remain a baby. As Christians we do not want to continue being a new born Christian. In order to grow, we must feed our spirits with daily spiritual bread. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said “People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God”. In the Lord’s Prayer we ask for God to give us our daily bread. The food which we ask for is spiritual as well as physical. God promises to hear our prayer and supply all of our needs. Philippians 4:19 tells us that He does this “according to His riches in Glory in Christ Jesus”.

I study the Word because I believe, have received, and want to be in God’s perfect will. How will I know what His will for my life is if I don’t know Him personally? My faith is a gift and it grows as I hear the Word of God (Romans 10:17). As God’s Spirit within me increases, my carnal spirit decreases. For the stubborn and logical minded this internal battle can be a difficult and long process. God doesn’t just want pieces of us; He wants to be the Lord of our entire life. He wants us to trust Him and to rest in His presence and promises.

I will be in eternity far longer than I am on this present earthly journey. I will continue to seek a closer walk with my Lord so that I will be nearer to Him next year than I am with Him today. I will keep on sharing my journey with you through my blog thoughts and writings. I would encourage you to be discerning and search the scriptures for yourself because you are on your own journey. My New Year’s wish and prayer for my family and friends is that each of you would seek a new or deeper spiritual walk with Father God, Our Creator, through His Son and our Savior, Christ Jesus who is the promised Messiah.