Why is it that some people come to know Christ and flourish and grow in their walk in ways that are almost mind blowing and yet others seemingly know Him but exhibit little growth? From the outside actions, each person should be growing at a similar rate, right? What we see on the outside is only a small indicator of what is happening in a person's private time. The rate of our spiritual growth is determined by what we spend our time pursuing.
I have been meditating on the following verses found in 2 Timothy 2:
"Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." vs. 19-26
I could write pages upon pages of dissection on these verses. Let's start with the command for those of us who name the name of Christ to depart from iniquity. It is our choice to to leave our former lifestyles behind. We are called to be great because Christ is great. Yet inside each of us are vessels of gold and also vessels of wood. These reflect honor and dishonor. The ability to use either is at our disposal at all times. It is only once we have cleansed ourselves of dishonor that God can begin to use us in honor to Him. Cleansing our lives of dishonorable things prepare us to be used by God. This is often why we move at different rates of promotion within the Kingdom. How many dishonorable things are we holding onto in our lives?
The second part of this scripture instructs us to not simply walk away from our sinful natures, but to FLEE from them! Our youthful lusts are not only of a sexual nature, but I also believe it's the lust for wanting something that is not our own. Part of this maturing process is recognizing the gifts placed inside of each of us. We are not all created to sing angelic melodies or paint inspired pictures. There is a gift inside of you that can only be used by you and nobody else! If you spend all your time lusting after the blessings in someone else's life, you will miss the gift inside of you.
Lastly, part of maturing in our walk is knowing how to have discussions with others and also when to walk away from those conversations. I love how the scripture here refers to them as "foolish and ignorant" disputes. To me, any discussion against the word of God falls into this category. Not everyone has reached the same level of maturity in Christ so to engage in a discussion one must be able to educate based on the truth of scriptures. We must also keep in mind that not everyone will accept scriptures as truth. When people argue with us in opposition to the word of God it is because the devil has entrapped them by his lies. It is our job to share the word of God in a loving and corrective way, but ultimately it is not up to us to convince anyone of the truth. This is the job of the Holy Spirit. God's word never returns void so even when it seems the word is falling upon "deaf" ears, we know the seed of truth has been planted.
All of this said, where are you in your spiritual maturation? Do you feel like you are still a baby in your walk? What is preventing you from moving into the toddler phase? To be honest, this is where I feel I am currently: the toddler phase. I can walk, but I'm not running yet. I stumble often and occasionally I fall. However, my falls are occurring less and less often. This is because I'm learning the art of "fleeing" from the temptations I know can cause me to trip. There are iniquities (and even relationships) I have had to remove from my life in order to move forward in my growth.
I no longer want to knowingly dishonor God. I want my life to be honoring and pleasing to Him. I want to "flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
How about you?
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