Grow Up by Larry Perry

1 Corinthians 13:11 English Standard Version (ESV) When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

I had a conversation with a Pastoral friend yesterday about seeing God as our provider for our personal needs. I was reminded about our growth in Christ. In seems more difficult to understand when we come to the Lord at middle age or at least after gaining some maturity. When we are born again, it is truly a start over, being babes in Christ. Becoming that mature Christian is growing up from that new beginning.

Babies only concern themselves with getting fed and making their discomforts known. You cannot expect much more from a baby. Being born again in Christ we take with us a life time of memories and experiences that oppose growth in Christ. They have some value in the world but now we are talking about Kingdom living. The older we are when we come to Christ, the more history we have to overcome.

Being fed on the Word of God will allow us to grow and like all toddlers we want to explore, make friends and be active. Like toddlers we had no idea what we would grow up to become in this Kingdom. Toddlers struggle to find their place on the playground. That is the same in Kingdom living but what worked for us in the world does not work for us in Kingdom living.

At some point in our worldly life we started taking education and planning for a future seriously. The same should happen in Kingdom living however where we made the decisions about our future in the world, our destiny in Christ has already been established.

Jeremiah 29:11 English Standard Version (ESV) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.