As a sports fan I love looking at profiles of sportsmen and sportswomen, what their favourite meal is, favourite band, all that type of stuff and I especially love to hear of their most embarrassing moments on the sporting field. It got me thinking back to one of my embarrassing or more funny moments of my illustrious sporting career. I remember playing basketball for my school - we took on the might of Ipswich Grammar, we were in the huddle and my coach gave me the assignment of marking their big man and I mean big man. As I walked out to the tip off, I saw this giant of what I thought a man but was later told he was merely a boy. He was 6ft 10 inches tall, and better still he was the man my coach wanted me to mark. I remember getting closer to him ,and his belly button, as that is all I could see. Halfway through the game and after this guy had dunked on me ten times I remember thinking WOW I wish I could grow.
More than ten years on I still find myself saying this but not because I am staring at some guys belly button but because I want to grow in Christ. Spiritual growth is important to us Christians we should never think that we are fully grown. But just as in the natural we need things to grow so is the same in spiritual growth.
1. Desire: We must desire to grow it can't come from anyone else but you .I often tell my church that if I could literally piggy back everyone toward their spiritual growth I would but unfortunately this is something that I can't do. It comes through desire.
1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn babies CRAVE pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.
2. Maintain that desire: Philipians 3: 12-14 Shows although Paul had seen great things he knew that he had to maintain that desire
3. Food: Growth happens naturally when we eat food, Growth happens spiritually when we eat the word of God
Psalm 1 1-2 But his delight is in the law of the lord and on his law he meditates day and night.
4.Exercise: Exercise being Christ like everyday no matter who cuts you off in traffic or who pushes in front of you at a Myer stock take sale exercise being Christ like.
Spiritual growth is important for every Christian. I believe the moment we stop growing is the moment we begin to die.
Continue growing in every way for Christ.
Brad Whittington
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I never played basketball - but would not like to look at an opponents belly button for the duration of a game!
ReplyDeleteBrad & Shezzy, We love growing with you! Here's believing that as spiritual growth goes up our waistlines will go down with BayCoast Biggest Loser - Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right- Thank you for helping us all to grow, even simply growing in our desire to grow!
ReplyDelete...Too bad this has desire has never helped me out in any of my attempts to garden. I hope the number of plants I've killed is less of an indicator of my ability to grow stuff, than my lame unGreen Thumb.
Brad, I think God heard your prayer about growth but you must have been a bit vague as your eyebrow copped the lot!!! God bless you my brother in Christ
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