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How are you growing?
pastor corner

Has your soul grown this year? Many are searching for larger size clothes to compensate for the bodying growing in the past year. What about your soul? Peter wrote that growth spiritually is needed. “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). Most realize that their physical bodies grew because of the food enjoyed during the year. How much spiritual food was “digested”? Hopefully a good portion of “the word” was taken in and helped growth to occur spiritually.

Strength is something that must be acquired, it does not just happen. The Lord needs those who are strong and willing to stand firm on His word, not willing to compromise with those who would depart from the truth. “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong (I Cor. 16:13). The stronger we become the easier we will find living the life of a true follower of God.

Peter wrote, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby (I Peter 2:2). The people to whom Peter was writing were suffering from persecution.

They needed strength, both from the word of God and from other Christians. Peter serves as a perfect example of a Christian who knew how to encourage and uplift others.

All men should “desire the sincere milk of the word” that they can grow as children of God. While persecution as such may not occur today, Christians are bombarded with immortality and worldliness almost every day. Without having a steady diet of spiritual food one may fall into Satan’s snare and lose sight of the heavenly goal.

The desire means to want for or to seek after. Just as the baby counts feeding time as an important event, so should the child of God count the time when the Bible can be studied.

As one begins to take in the spiritual nourishment, the appetite for things spiritual should increase.

God’s word studied on a regular basis will help one to realize the need for God in their lives. It will also help Christians to realize the responsibility to “feed” the starving masses with God’s word. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19ff) are the words of Jesus. It will also better equip one to “…fear God and keep His commandments…” (Ecc.12:13). A constant feeding at the trough of God’s word will make one stronger and more determined to get to heaven.

How can one determine just how strong they are as a Christian? First one must be honest with themselves. God knows whether one has increased or decreased spiritually. Second, God’s word shows one how they ought to be and where improvement is needed. Everyone has room for improvement. The Hebrew writer told of a people who had failed to grow properly, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat” (Heb. 5:12).

The year is just about over.

It is time to take a long hard look at oneself. God wants all to grow closer to Him, by obeying Him. Study of the word produces faith (Rom. 10:17), repentance (Luke 13:3), leading one to be willing to confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matt. 10:32), and then a desire to have one’s sins washed away by baptism (Acts 2:38). Doing these things will cause a person to grow in God.

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