One wall of my family’s camp at the lake attracts repeated attention. It is the history wall.
Starting just a few feet off the floor are short, horizontal lines identified with a date and initials. They are the record of the growth of the Burns family. They are observations that run parallel to spiritual realities.
Growth is normal and expected. Real concern would be voiced if the record did not show an
increase in height during childhood years. But even though expected, evidence of growth still brings great joy and satisfaction to the child who stands up and can see that the new mark is well above the previous. Indeed, the spirit, too, stands taller at that moment. It is clear upon looking at the wall that growth is gradual. There are marks showing growth spurts, but if you observe the whole, you can see the initials gradually climb toward the ceiling. You can almost guess the age by the rate of growth. Those fast periods of growth were probably accompanied by some “growing pains” – if not physical pain to the child certainly financial pain to the parent that had to buy the clothes.
Growth should be balanced. Thankfully the wall only records the vertical evidence of growth. Let there never be a wall set aside to mark the horizontal growth. The wall does not show the aspect of balanced growth but that is certainly important. Not just a balance of height to weight but also between physical, intellectual and social.
The wall also does not reveal that the growth it represents is passive growth. Watch the kids standing there, stretching, trying to extend their heads another fraction of an inch higher as if to deny this to be true. But they cannot make themselves taller by any of their gyrations no matter how strong their will.
It is God, directly and through his created order, that gives the increase. Whether physical or
spiritual, when we satisfy the conditions for growth, growth will come. Give attention to those things that promote growth and you will raise the mark on the next measurement. Study of the Word of God, surrounding oneself in the fellowship of a local church, submission to discipline and experiences of suffering are the nutrition and exercise equipment for growth. But how are these “tools” used? What are they directed toward? So often growth is measured in terms of increased power, by prominence, by position.
Get out your Bible now and look up 2 Peter 1:5-11. This passage offers great insight and advice on spiritual growth. Growth will come as you give attention to the basic spiritual values of faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. It will be gradual, balanced growth. Growth will come, surely as the inevitable result of creating the conditions for growth. There are no “mysteries” here. No secrets revealed by the latest church guru on spiritual leadership. You don’t even have to buy their latest book. The list is straightforward, too plain for those who want some new trick.
The passage in 1:9-11 says that effort made on these qualities of character yields both
accomplishment and protection against spiritual regression. You will notice in verse 1:9 that a lack of attention to these conditions for growth will have serious negative spiritual health consequences – doubt, fear, spiritual blindness. Positively, in verse 1:11, it says your efforts yield a rich acclaim of “Welcome. Enter. Well done.”
It is time once again to say, “ Up against the wall. Let’s see if you have grown.”
2Pe 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
2Pe 1:10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (NIV)