Grow Up!
By Sarah Keith
Sarah A. Keith is the President and Founder of www.ChristianCrafters.com, "Home of the Sunday School Network". ChristianCrafters is a ministry resource site providing free Christian crafts, Bible games, Sunday School lessons, Christian skits, and children's sermons.

"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him --you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood..." (1 Peter 2:2-5)

Has anyone ever said to you, "Why don't you just grow up?" Or, maybe you've even said it to someone else. Either way, the question is intended to make the hearer stop their childish behavior. As if hearing the question could magically transform the listener to immediate maturity.

I have been a "seeking Christian" now for over twenty years. Yet, I continue to be amazed at how often I fall into immature spiritual behavior. I wonder, and even fear sometimes, that God says to himself, "Why doesn't she just GROW UP?!" or "I am so tired of her making the same old mistakes over and over again!" (I know how I get tired of making the same old mistakes!).

Recently, I have been going through a difficult time of understanding God's will for my professional life. I want to do his will, but haven't yet had a clear indication of what he desires. In the midst of this struggle I often lose sight of God's love for me and become depressed and angry toward God. Not remembering God's great love for me is one of the things that I consider childish behavior on my part. This only adds to my depression of not trusting God like I should. (It's a vicious cycle!).

So, does God respond to me by saying, "Grow up! You know I died for you! What more do you want?" A passage of scripture which came to mind during this time tells me "No!" A resounding NO!" In fact, I believe that God has given all of us one of the most refreshing and hope-filled passages in the Bible which is found in Romans 7:14-8:4.

The apostle Paul writes, "We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do…As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me…For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing…what a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?…"(now that's a vicious cycle!).

And here's the best part: "…Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death…"

What freedom! What sweet relief! God doesn't hold my sinful nature against me! Why? Because it isn't about me and my sin! It's about who God is and what Jesus did to pay for my sin on the cross! He took on my sinfulness, my depression, my childish unspiritual nature, and gave me his Spirit and His maturity! (That's a great exchange!).

God is not finished with me. Growing up in my faith begins and ends with his 'no-strings-attached' free gift. We enter the Kingdom receiving the free gift, and we grow up in the Kingdom in the same way. Maturing in faith begins by admitting our complete inability to grow apart from God.

The Bible says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" Romans 10:17). There is no short cut to growth. We must be reading God's love letter to us, the Bible, if we are 'to grow up' in Him. Even so, God never gives up on us. I have learned that He is willing to allow me to sink into depression if that's what it takes to get me running back to Him and say, "I can't go on! I can't grow on! I need you! "

The Bible says that it is not God's wrath that leads us to repentance, but His love (Romans 2:4). This is a wonderful reminder that God is not out "to get us". No, He is out to rescue us!

I continue to seek God's will and plant His Word into my heart so that I can grow up in Him. In doing so, I am once again trusting that He will make clear His plan for my professional life.

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