Growing Up

Evolution and revolution are two ways that growth and change can occur in our lives.

From the early stirring in our hearts and minds when we first realize we want and need more than we have, to the searching, seeking, active pursuit of what we have heard about, we find that the slow unfolding of our understanding of God moves us along day by day as we advance toward the light that draws us.

During our search we are both drawn to the light of the Gospel and fearful of the truth which reveals so much of what we had worked to cover and disguise in ourselves. We are attracted by the honesty and simplicity, the purity and wholeness, the acceptance we see in God's invitation and promises which, if true, contain everything we could ever hope for.

But we see how different we are from the standards we hear about. We know how often and how hard we have tried to change to become better, but failed at every go-around. We have had to accept our imperfections and become resigned to being a second-class citizen in a society that only honors top-performers.

It is at that point, when our gradual progression to God hits the limitations of our strength and will-power, that God is free to send His Spirit and Word into our lives and forcibly break down the walls of separation which we could not climb. He overturns the restrictions which have kept us weighted down and isolated on the fringes of the world's social order and, in a complete turn-about, lifts us from the ash heap to which we were relegated and bring us to the throne room of His ruling kingdom.

Once there, we begin a steady, unhurried progression of learning the rules and ways of our new culture and unlearning our old ways of thinking and acting. We want to jump ahead and get into the exciting, totally different way of living we see others moving in, but our tutors are thorough and our development is paced as we absorb the simple things first and build up to the more complex understandings that allow us to comprehend the seeming contradictions that threatened to turn us away in our early searching.

In the process of our gradual development, we occasionally find ourselves at a plateau. Often this is a precursor to a choice we will be given, wherein we can chose to stay where we are or have everything undergo another mind-whirling transformation in which entire new scopes open up for us to move in. We always have a choice, and God honors our wishes, but it is ever a good thing to draw closer to the Father.

A closer walk always means a greater understanding of ourselves and of the Lord. It leads to more power with God as well as more accountability which we are trained in through tighter discipline. We cannot get there by reaching for the power; our only access is by the route of a servant, seeking to learn and do whatever it takes to please our Heavenly Father.

If you have been seeking what God can give you, make an about-face and seek what you can give God.

Hebrews 12
v.10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness.
v.11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been  trained by it.


ev·o·lu·tion

noun   the gradual development of something, esp. from a simple to a more complex form.

    "the forms of written languages undergo constant evolution"
    synonyms: development, advancement, growth, rise, progress, expansion, unfolding;         



rev·o·lu·tion
noun  a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system.

synonyms: rebellion, revolt, insurrection, mutiny, uprising, riot, rioting, insurgence, seizure of power, coup (d'état)  

Gracious Lord, You give us choices and grant us options, but You always love us. Thank You for allowing us to change, slowly or quickly, but always remaining the same eternal Lord and God.

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