Growing up...

At times this is the hardest thing to do. As we age we still want to go back and remember the past and at times we try to relive those memories. I was together with some cousins last night and each and every time we are together we can talk about old memories like they just happened. Luke 18:17 says that unless you you accept the kingdom like one of these children you will not inherit the kingdom of God. When you see this you wonder what was he meaning? As you look at the previous verse you see how the disciples were trying to keep the kids from Jesus. But Jesus wanted them and their innocent lives to come to him. To come and accept Jesus as he was and to grow in love for him. There is nothing wrong with remembering the past it can bring us great joy. But let us not live there...


But yet God does not ask or want us to stay there in our lives for him. He calls us to a deeper level of love for him. We are called to live to a higher level. He calls us to grow up and to move to maturity. Here is what Romans 12:1-2 says:


"So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." (The Message)

I just love how this puts it. Give it all to him. It is hard for an adult to do this let alone a child. That is why we need to grow up in him. We need to love towards this type of lifestyle. What an honor that God has called us to something beyond just acting like a child all the time. Could you imagine if we all still acted like kids in our daily lives? We already have this with some of our family. They refuse to grow up and act like little kids. Why do we want to do this with our faith? Why do we want to act like little kids with our faith? I challenge you as I challenge myself to grow up in your faith. Act like you mean it and want something deeper. When you look back in 1,5,10 years what do you want to look like? The same kid?


Be different! Grow up because the life in Christ gets better with age!

Ryan