Growin’ Takes Grit
Well, come on and step right up on this here ol’ front porch today, friend! It so doggone good to have you stop by for a little bit. Git yourself settled in real good because we’re about to be chewin’ on a truth richer than fried cornbread dunked in potlikker (vegetable broth). Ok, now, Hebrews 5:11-14 reminds us that spiritual maturity does not just happen with age. And to shine a little more light on that truth, we will tuck in Ephesians 4:13, which tells us that God wants us to grow into the full measure of Christ. Those two verses together stand like twin oak trees blowin’ and holdin’ real steady in a summer storm.
Now, friend, you gotta picture this. Some folks have been in church longer than a lil’ ol’ barn cat has been prowlin’ around the hayloft, yet they’re still nibblin’ on spiritual milk like a newborn baby calf that has not yet figured out how to chew on hay. Hebrews 5:11-14 says that some believers have become dull in their hearing. They ought to be teachers by now, but instead they need someone to go back over the ABCs of the faith for ‘em. That’s like a grown man sittin’ at the table with a baby bottle while the rest of the family is cuttin’ into and chewin’ their steak.
God wants a whole lot more for us. He wants us to grow up in Christ, not just act like it when someone is watchin’. Ephesians 4:13 reminds us that the goal is to become like Jesus in character, not just in behavior. It’s not about speakin’ fancy, spiritual words or doin’ impressive things. It’s about lettin’ the Word shape our choices, our attitudes, and our reactions. Real fellowship with God produces real transformation. You can’t just sit close to the fire without getting’ warm, too.
Think about it. No wise father hands the family business to an immature child. Not because he don’t love the child, but because he values the work too much to put it in unsteady hands. In the same way, God longs to entrust us with more and more, but He will not place weight on shoulders that refuse to grow any stronger.
We can’t practice convenient Christianity. If we are with the Lord, we must be with Him all the way. Stability in truth, commitment to discipleship, and mastery over the flesh are signs that we’re growin’ up and maturin’ in Christ.
Father, help me grow. Shape my heart, sharpen my hearing, and strengthen my walk. Make me responsive to Your Word and committed to becoming more like Jesus every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Alright then, friend, as you git to moseyin’ on back into the rest of your daily chores, let this here truth git to settlin’ down deep in your heart like a warm biscuit soakin up fresh churned butter. Spiritual growth don’t happen by accident. It happens when we choose to lean in, listen well, and let God stretch us. Every step toward maturity makes you git a whole lot steadier, stronger, and more useful in His hands. And you gotta be rememberin’ that even the proudest ol’ rooster eventually learns it just can’t crow itself into greatness. Real growth comes from the Lord, and He’s mighty faithful to finish what He has already started in you.
With joy,
Gwen
