Growing Up or Growing In?

 I was listening to a sermon the other day and the evangelist asked a profound question, "Are you growing up or are you growing in Christ?" The question was just a small part of his sermon, but I found myself reflecting on the question as he continued towards his main topic. We all grow up, (I'm probably done growing upward, but know I have to be careful not to grow too much outward in my mid-section!) What really grabbed my thoughts was more of the juxtaposition of the two terms "up" and "in" for my life's trajectory. Our question today is whether we are still growing up or not, are we sincerely growing inward to God and His purpose?

There are a number of milestone stages that we each pass as we grow up. Newborn, infant, toddler, youth, teen, young adult, adult, and aging adult, all of which include markers signifying we are growing appropriately along our journey. Well, the stages of life haven't really changed that much over the thousands of years of man's existence. Babies nurse, and then progress to bottles, to which they move on to soft baby food before they eventually move into the meat and potatoes stage. To prove my point read what the author of Hebrews had to say about the progression of nourishment in regards to our spiritual growth. "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" Hebrews 5:13-14. You can take this scripture and apply it in a number of ways, but my thoughts are we may have progressed through the stages of life as referenced above, but have we progressed in our heart, mind, body, and soul? 

You may have established a relationship with God, but are you growing IN that relationship? I grew UP in church, I gave my heart to God as a child, was baptized and over the years believed I had checked all the boxes to be forgiven from my sins and ticketed for a one-way trip to the pearly gates of Heaven. But over the past ten to fifteen years I have been on a journey, I have come to the realization that there is a great divide between being saved and having a relationship with the God of all creation. If we aren't growing IN Christ then we may only be growing up and growing old. 

In I Corinthians 13:11 Paul states that "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things." Paul's analogy is clear, but it is important to share that preceding and following Paul's bold statement, he writes about knowing "in" part and then the fact that following after Christ will allow him to know completely "in" the same way he is known by God. Growing "in" Christ involves developing our relationship in a way that we strive to know God's will for our lives and in turn understanding God's plan for humanity. 

As you grow IN Christ, life becomes less about you, and more about how you can better serve God through your service to others for God's glory. Knowing God's plan for your life is a journey, reading His word, meeting with God each day intentionally and purposefully, and then spending time in worship and study. As you grow closer, life becomes less about who you are, and more about who you are "in" Christ. We will all grow up and we will grow older each day that we live. The question of the day is more literal than it might sound. How are you growing IN your relationship with the God who created you with a divine purpose in mind? 

Coach Carter