“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our
Lord.” 2
Peter 3:18
There are two things that help determine personal
growth:
(1)
Your relationships.
The
Bible says, “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?”
(Am 3:3 NLT).
The
company you keep will lift you, level you, or lower you. A lady wrote this
letter to an advice columnist: “In my last year of school my English teacher
took an essay I’d written and tore it apart in front of the class. I was
humiliated—I felt dumb. That was years ago, and I’ve never forgotten it.” In a
few short seconds the wrong person diminished this woman’s sense of self-worth
for a lifetime.
(2)
Your reflections.
When
a Sunday school teacher asked a little girl, “Who made you?” she replied, “God
made part of me.” The teacher asked, “What do you mean?” The little girl
replied, “God made me little—and I growed the rest of myself.”
God
holds us responsible for our personal growth. The Psalmist wrote, “I have more
understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation” (Ps
119:99 NKJV).
The
word “meditation” means “reflective thinking.” Like a crock pot, meditation
allows your thoughts to slowly simmer until they’re done. Most of us would
rather act than think.
But
as Socrates observed, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Reflective
thinking is uncomfortable for a variety of reasons. For instance, we have
difficulty staying focused. We find the process dull, and we don’t particularly
enjoy spending time reflecting on difficult issues. But if you don’t carve out
time for reflection and meditation, you won’t mature.
You
won’t grow in the “grace and…knowledge” you need to succeed. It’s that simple.
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