If we learn but never grow, did we really learn anything? The logical course is that learning leads to growth. Growth happens immediately after salvation and should never stop happening. Our desire of the Temple Teens is that after learning about the Bible and how to study it effectively, they would grow and never stop.
In I Peter 2:2 gives us some insight into our growth process as Christians; “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” Just as a baby cries when it is hungry, we, as new Christians, crave and desire to learn more about the Bible and what God has for us; not so that we can become fat and bloated with our knowledge but so that we can grow. The natural step for a Christian is to study their Bible and grow from what they are learning.
Growth can, however, be painful at times. Our Golden Retriever puppy recently lost his baby teeth and had his adult teeth growing in. This was a great step for him on his way to becoming an adult dog. It was also a time where he chewed almost nonstop. He didn’t chew because he thought he might become smarter or change the color of his fur. He chewed because he had sharp teeth driving their way through the tender gums of his mouth. His growth was painful yet if he ever wanted to become a full grown adult, necessary.
It’s the same way with our Christian lives. If we ever want to become the committed, growing, sharing Christians that God wants us to be, we may have to go through some painful times. Times where, because of our study of the Bible and our daily walk with God, He tells us to do something that may seem hard to us. Or times where He tells us to give up something that we don’t really want to give up. It’s at these times that we must remember that growth, while sometimes painful, is imperative to becoming the Christian Adults that God desires for us. It’s also vitally important that we remember that because it is God desire for us to mature and grow into Christian Adults, it is the absolute best thing that can happen to us, even if it is sometimes a difficult process.
Growth is an amazing process of steps that God uses to transform us into the Christians that He wants us to be. One of the greatest parts of this process is the fact that it never ends! We are never to old to grow. Another amazing aspect of growth is the next natural step to take. This next step is outreach.
