How long does it take to grow? You may ask, “Physical growth? You mean my body growing growth?” It takes a baby nine months or so to grow in the womb before it comes out. We measure growth every doctor visit by how much you weigh and how tall you are. You can’t microwave growth or speed it up; it’s “slow growing.” And spiritual growth is the same way. Spiritual growth is a marathon, not a sprint. Just like a physical “growth spurt”, you may make occasional leaps and bounds, but for the most part, spiritual growth is a long haul, more a turtle than a rabbit, “one day at a time” growth. How are you doing in your spiritual growth?
When we first meet Paul, he wears a younger man’s clothes. He’s on fire for God, but he’s Jewish. He’s a Jew among Jews, even a Rabbi’s Rabbi, but he’s persecuting the Christians with zeal and gusto, going from town to town to ransack and imprison them. He oversees the stoning of Stephen. He doesn’t know God. He has a long way to grow.
Paul’s relationship with God began when God got a hold of Paul in Acts 9. “Paul was on his way, and as he approached Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’” He began walking with the Lord, and three missionary journeys later, he’s been through the ringer. Life is hard and suffering is real. He writes, “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure (2 Cor 11:24-27).” It’s been a hard life of spiritual growth as he has served the Lord.
But Paul continued on. He thinks about his life and growth and writes in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” For Paul, “to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21),” and when he came to the end, he said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Tim 4:7).” How much he has grown! His growth was complete.
Spiritual growth is growing in relationship with Jesus; knowing and walking with Jesus closer and loving Jesus deeper day by day. Growth happens one day at a time. You can’t rush the chick coming out of the egg, and “to everything there is a season and a proper time.” God has you on a journey – maturing and perfecting and being more like Him. How are you growing in Christ?