December 30, 2012 · Luke 2:52

Grow Up in Jesus

“We're either getting closer to our Lord, or we're moving further apart. There's no middle ground. Either getting closer to Jesus, or further away from Jesus. Part of that's because Jesus keeps going. Jesus has a plan — like, he's doing things. He's moving. He's growing his kingdom. He's moving things. So if you just kinda stop and go, okay, this is a pretty good spot, then he's going further down the road, and you're further away from him. So we gotta recognize that there's no positivity in just kinda being where you're at. There's positivity in growing closer in Christ. It doesn't mean you have to be perfect. It just means, hey, am I growing? This is what God wants me to do. I'm growing. And so if you are growing, give yourself a break. You're not perfect. Hey — where's God taking you? And, you know, revel in that small victory instead of beating yourself up. … You gotta have a conversation with the Lord. I'm sorry — I need you to take me for that. Just start growing again. And like I said, sometimes certain areas we're growing and some certain ones we're not. So it's not, like — you know, it's not easy always to assess exactly what's happening, but you should be able to see in your life upward trajectory in Christ, and growth. That's part of who we are. That's what God expects when the Spirit is connecting us for. If we truly want that type of wisdom, that type of strength, then we need to search for Jesus in our communities, in the word of God, in our worship, in each other, in the Spirit within us.”