Are we Growing? by Diane Stephenson

Our summer series of articles from guest bloggers continues with Diane Stephenson of My Healthy Living blog

Plants stop growing, and we toss them in the garbage. If children don't grow properly, we seek medical help, fearing the cause. When a puppy is smaller than the rest of the litter, we call it the 'runt'. Often no one wants the runt.

We were created to grow. We need to eat the right kind of food, drink lots of pure water, breathe clean air and get proper rest. We also need regular exercise. When we are young, our parents see to these things, but when we grow older, we take on that responsibility for ourselves. Or not! Why do I speak of physically growing in adulthood? Our cells are continually dying and being renewed, a different type of growth yet essential.

Spiritually we must grow. Before we experience salvation we are dead in our sin. When we are born again, we begin to grow. We need the right food--the Word of God. We need good 'air'--the atmosphere of heaven. The Living Water, Jesus, is indispensable to healthy growth. And we need to rest in the Lord, worry-free. It’s imperative to consistently exercise our faith. All these contribute to increased spiritual stature.

Often we are unaware of the growing process. It's only as we look back that we see where we were and how far we have come. I have traveled a long road over the nearly forty years I have been a Christian, through valleys, over mountaintops, and sometimes in dark pits. I have known periods without growth as well as growth spurts. There have been long periods of slow, continual growth. Through it all, I see how much I have grown in the Lord. I know Him more intimately, and am so thankful that God does not leave us alone. He knows our hearts, and when we reach out to Him, even in our ignorance and in our immaturity, He is there to take us forward.

He has a destiny planned for each one of us. Are we willing to grow into the person He created us to be? I may still be far from the goal, but I have positioned myself to grow in the knowledge of the Lord through the study of His Word, in relationship with Him through prayer and worship, and in the ministry and gifts He has given to me by doing what I have been called to do. I wholeheartedly desire to grow in grace. How about you?


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Visit Diane’s blog, My Healthy Living, where you can learn general information about health, information about her business and regular spiritual messages interspersed with photos to add a little beauty.