40 Days of Purpose - Day 23

How We Grow

I can vouch for the fact that spiritual growth is not automatic. Having been a believer for the past 20 years my ongoing commitment to God has slimmed down not even deliberately. Whilst I thought I was trying to get closer to God unfortunately it became almost like a New Year’s Resolution, this year I will get closer to God. Even though I would pray about it, I would get sidelined by life issues by the second week in January. This would happen annually. God would be testing my commitment to growth and I wouldn’t give the Holy Spirit any room. However, I believe that this has changed – Hallelujah!!

Before I had Daniel I think it is fair to say that I had a rather comfortable life but like a lot of things I did not appreciate it fully until those days were over. Many of you will know that there have been some bleak times and it is only as a result of the sheer level of need that we face as a family that I have been able to come before God totally and give him all of me. Since Daniel’s birth I have been more open to God’s will in my life which has blessed us all as a family. Those of you who saw me in church on Sunday would probably notice something different about me due to the indescribable joy that I experienced opening myself completely to my Lord.

Thinking about growth, I can’t help but think of Daniel. As he has Downs Syndrome he is developmentally delayed. As a parent it disappoints me that he is slower to learn new things. I was thinking that I have delayed learning in my growth as a Christian but unlike Daniel who has no control over this, I can develop if I surrender who I am regularly to the Lord. I imagine it must hurt God that our character traits (stubbornness, pride, insecurity…) can stop us from reaching out to Him desperate to learn. Daniel is only too keen to learn and is rewarded with praise as he is so eager to please. When did we stop having that eagerness to learn? Daniel is dependent upon me but I have to choose to be totally dependent upon God, a real surrendering of will.

What a great God we have.