We are to grow …

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52

The Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, Barry Black, recently spoke at a church we were visiting and spoke on our need to grow based on Jesus’ example in the verse above. Jesus, being fully God AND fully human, had to grow and develop just as we do now. It is so easy to focus on one area and ignore the others. Have you ever met a person who is so spiritually advance, but with no social skills (too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good!)? Or, that amazing pastor/preacher who can barely walk the three stairs to the podium because he is so out of shape? At different points in my life I have worked on each of these areas, but Chaplain Black’s message was an encouragement to try to address all four. Let’s look at each way Jesus grew and scripture to help us on our journey:

1. In Wisdom (mentally): In 2 Chronicles 1:10, Solomon asks “Give me wisdom and knowledge”; Prov 14:6 – The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. Prov 9:10 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
2. In Stature (physically): 1 Cor 6:19 – Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit; 1 Cor 9:27 – No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
3. In Favor with God (spiritually): 2 Peter 3:18 – But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. Eph 4:13-14 – until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
4. In Favor with man (socially): Heb. 10:25 – not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another; Acts 2:46-47 – 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.