Keep on Growing

Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

As a Christian, growing is something that should never stop. From the moment we are born again until God calls us home, we should always be growing. We should grow and progress in all the areas of our life that we see mentioned here in our verse today. I would like to break it down into four areas of focus. Jesus is our model for everything we do, and this verse shows us how He developed as a young person leading up to His public ministry. If God wanted us to know this about Jesus, then maybe we should take note and evaluate our growth in these areas as well.

1. We should grow Internally – wisdom Knowledge is important. We have to learn. But, after we know something, we must also understand how to apply that knowledge. That is wisdom. Each one of us needs to grow in wisdom. Wisdom cannot be seen until it is put into action. As children of God, we must have wisdom for the times in which we live.
2. We should grow Externally – stature Obviously, Jesus was growing physically. He was increasing in size, and His human body was developing and maturing. His reputation and character was developing as well. People not only see and know us physically, but they also know us by our character and reputation. How is your stature? What do people know about you? We need to purpose in our hearts to grow in stature.
3. We should grow Vertically – with God Please notice the order of the second part of this verse. Favor with God must come first if favor with man is to be beneficial. We must grow in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Spend time with Him in His Word and in prayer. Grow in Him. This world needs God’s people to understand the importance of growing closer and stronger with God.
4. We should grow Horizontally – and man We cannot forget why we are here. God wants us to reach people. It is our responsibility to point them to Jesus. It is much easier to do that if we are growing in favor with them. We should understand the importance of our appearance, our attitude, and our actions. People are watching us and everyday we are developing their opinion of us. How are you perceived? What do people think of you? We cannot control how others think and feel, but we can purpose in our hearts to grow and develop in favor with man.

Never stop growing. Never become satisfied and complacent. Focus on these four areas of your life and ask God to help you grow in them. When we grow on the inside, it will show up on the outside. When we spend time with God and grow in our relationship with Him, it will enhance and strengthen our relationship with others. You never know who needs you the most today and who God wants you to encourage and strengthen. Keep on growing!