GROWTH: GO THE DISTANCE

“…but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” – Ephesians 4:15

REFERENCE:

EPHESIANS 4:12-16

Growth is your primary qualification for certain privileges and responsibilities. God said, “For this cause shall a man (not a boy) leave father and mother and be joined to his wife.” Until you grow to a certain level, God cannot commit certain things into your hands. When I got married and had children, I began to ask God to give me more, because I then had increased capacity and more responsibility. He answered. Someone will say, “How can I grow? What must I do to grow?” Let me illustrate it with a simple rule I learnt in elementary physics: To calculate distance covered, you multiply speed of travel with time of travel. That is, to know how far someone has gone, check the speed at which they are traveling, and for how long. Growth, in essence, is distance covered. To experience growth then, there must be speed – the exertion you give to a particular cause (e.g., playing a musical instrument, learning a trade or a particular subject), and then, there must be time; that is, you must repeatedly practice it for a given period of time. In other words, the longer and the more you exert yourself in a particular area of life, the quicker you will experience growth there.

Growth opens you up to new opportunities. It gives you recognition and attracts certain privileges. However, growth can also attract some adversity; like they say, “New levels, new devils.” However, the growth process equips you to deal with the adversity that comes with growth. Tree trunks become strong because of adverse winds, and the stronger they become, the more they can withstand adverse winds. Trees that grow without the privilege of adverse winds often have weak trunks and soon topple over when they bear the privileges of branches, leaves and fruits. So, as you grow, you outgrow some troubles, you overcome them and move up to the next level. In other words, you become a terror to what used to terrorize you.

As long as you remain small or in the place of your planting (or starting point), your influence and impact will be limited. It is impossible to remain at Point A and touch the lives of people at Point B. According to the earlier stated law of physics, constant movement (improvement or exertion) in the right direction over a period of time is what qualifies you for progress (growth), and progress is what qualifies you for influence. When you grow, you have enough experience to invest in others, hence God can entrust others to your care. For example, Joseph grew through what he went through, and that is what qualified him for the unusual responsibilities he eventually bore.

So, get ready to exert yourself towards God’s purpose for you; do it consistently over time so that God can entrust you with more (influence, wealth, position, power) than what you have now. Things you should do:

–       Be committed to a life of Prayer and Bible Study. Exercise your faith just like your muscles, write down your prayer points and tick them when answered. Make faith confessions.

–       Be committed to serving in the House of the Lord Church. Don’t play truancy (Hebrews 10:25), commit to fellowshipping with the brethren at all times.

–       Be committed to sharing your faith always, move from being a disciple to becoming a disciple-maker.

–       Be committed and consistent in your financial stewardship. Christianity that has not touched your pocket is underdeveloped. “Lay up treasures for yourself in heaven.”

–       Stand up to adversity: Dealing with pressures will help you grow in faith, prayers and in the word; trials and temptations are opportunities for growth.

PHOTO QUOTE:

ADDITIONAL STUDY

James 1:2-4; Hebrews 6:1 & Job 8:7

PRAYER POINTS

+ Father, I pray for the discipline to exert myself consistently towards habits and practices that will help me to grow in Christ, in my personal and family life, and in my career.

+ I declare that my roots grow down into Christ and my life is built on HIM so that my faith will grow strong.

+ Father, give me the shoulders to bear responsibility and the humility to enjoy the privileges You give me.