Why you must grow 2

"Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;"

Galatians 4:1

Our opening scripture shows that you can be a child as long as you want to be. The word 'child' is from the Greek word 'nepios.' A nepios refers to an infant or someone who is childish in thinking. Have you met such adults? Their bodies grew but their minds did not grow. Therefore, as long as a Christian remains a child in his thinking, he is not different from a servant. In other words, he will not be able to fully take advantage of His inheritance.

The Bible tells us in Galatians 4:2, "But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father." In the school of the Spirit, you are never promoted until you pass. You can remain in a class for thirty years as long as you refuse to grow. This is why you must ensure that you never become dull of hearing as a Christian. What does it mean to be dull of hearing? Are you slow and sluggish in your response to spiritual things? Are you slow in understanding the Word of God? Does God continue to teach you the same thing over and over again? If you have all these symptoms it means that you are dull of hearing.

Jesus told Kenneth Hagin that many live and die and never enter into the first phase of His plan for their lives. As great as Kenneth Hagin was, it took him about fifteen to twenty years to enter into the first phase. Why? He assumed God's plan for him and became a Pastor, meanwhile God's plan for him was to be a Prophet and Teacher. So the part of his life when he was Pastoring was not part of God's plan for his life, if he had died then, it would have been as though he never lived.

This is why it is important for you to grow. As you grow spiritually, your spiritual senses would become alert for you to be able to discern and understand God's will and His plan and purpose for your life more accurately. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

Prayer.

Dear Father, I ask that you fill me with the knowledge of your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, in Jesus Name. Amen.

For further study read:

Ephesians 4:14-16, Isaiah 28:9, 1 Corinthians 14:20, Hebrews 5:12-14

Doing the Word

Please pray the prayer Epaphras prayed for the Church for yourself today in Colossians 4:12.