GROWTH

GROWTH
1Thessalonians 1:3-4: “We continually remember you before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Every child is anxious to grow up. It’s your nature to want to grow, and it’s fun. Growing means you can do more stuff, and play with bigger kids doing cool things. It also means that you’re the bigger kid, who can teach what you know to the younger kids. With each new year’s mark on your growth chart, you can see evidence of where you’ve been, assured that you’re going to grow even taller.

But you’re growing in other ways, too. Kindergarten is exciting, and first grade makes you feel like you’ve learned so much. But God is interested in watching you grow spiritually, too. Checking that progress is also exciting Just as we learned the alphabet where letters become building blocks to reading words, hearing Bible stories, like Daniel in the Lion’s Den, is a building block for your growth of understanding.

Each one of us could be Daniel. We grow in spiritual maturity when we can identify with a person in a Bible story. We’re not very different from them. Our lives are dissimilar from Daniel, but we can imagine what he must have felt like. We can empathize (EMP-e-thize, meaning understand, identify with) Biblical characters. The more we see their troubles—and how they deal with them—we can copy their victories, which matures our own spiritually.

We get reprimanded when we do something wrong. Discipline is not cool, but our parents want us to learn correct behavior, so that other people like us. Just as we teach a dog not to use the bathroom inside the house, our parents and teachers tutor our learning. A guilty conscience measures our spiritual maturity, warning against doing wrong. Then we’re urged to ask forgiveness for wrong doing.

Some times we need time alone. Quiet time gives us a chance to breathe easily and not compete. It’s also the perfect time to read. Private moments in prayer are necessary to sort through problems. Sharing troubles with the Lord is like telling your Mom, Dad, or your friend what’s wrong. When you do that, it’s another sign that you’re growing up.

Take Home Nugget

Remember about how God is molding you into the likeness of His Son, Jesus? That is His goal for your physical, mental, and spiritual maturity. You get to that point day by day, growing and shining your light into the world.

J. D. Griffith

Have Thine own way Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou are the Potter, I am the clay;
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Pollard

Click here for an Interactive-Online-Lesson for Growth
A personal, private lesson experience with our staff
Written for http://www.biblestudyforkids.com/
For FREE Online Bible Study Resources click here.