Growing

How do we know we’re growing spiritually?  The answer is we’re changing physically and spiritually.  I didn’t say that.  The Apostle Paul did.  Paul says that as our bodies are rotting away, we are being conformed to the image of Christ.  Ouch.  That sounds harsh.  But isn’t that what he says in II Corinthians 4:16,

…outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

In other words, the longer we walk with the LORD, the more and more we should look like Jesus.  On one hand this rings true, generally, but not so much in our spiritual journey.  Perhaps it’s because we stopped following or walking with God.  Maybe it’s because we’re not pursing God with the same intensity that we had when we were younger.  Maybe we feel stuck where we are because we’re not getting the results that we want and we feel helpless, perhaps hopeless to go on because of the huge gulf between us and God.  To which Paul says,

Do not lose heart…fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  –II Corinthians 4:18

The only true “thing” that is eternal is God.  This is why the Hebrew writer tells us to “fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2) because He is our beginning and our end.

It is okay to occasionally look back and see where we’ve come from.  It’s also okay to reflect on who we’re becoming.  But our true focus should be on the One who began the good work in us and will carry it on to completion (Philippians 1:6).

As we continue to seek to stand in His Presence, He will not only transform our lives (II Corinthians 3:18), but His greatness will produce fruits in our character (Galatians 5:22-23) and praise from our lips (Hebrews 13:15).