Jackson hasn’t used a bottle in quite some time, but I put off packing them away until just the other day.
Packing up the bottles means he’s not a baby anymore. He’s a big boy who uses a sippee cup. I don’t have to feed him because he can hold the cup himself (and these days he’s not a fan of sitting still in my lap – too much to see and do!)
As I put his bottles in a box, along with some clothes that he’s outgrown, a word popped into my mind – Spiritual growth.
Just like a baby outgrows bottles and formula and matures over time, we as Christians are to do the same thing. We aren’t supposed to stay the same. We are supposed to grow in our relationship with God. We are supposed to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” ~ 1 Peter 2:1-3
Lately I feel like I’ve become stagnant in my spiritual life. I’ve been convicted that certain areas in my life lack discipline – reading God’s word and investing in the church to name a few. I’m slacking in areas that I should be growing. Do you ever feel this way?
I’m slacking when it comes to church attendance. Since Jackson’s birth, going to church has been hard – the first 12 weeks we didn’t make it to church because he screamed ALL the time or he had major poop explosions and we had to leave the service to clean him up.
But the more I think about it, missing church boils down to more than having a new baby. I’ve been feeling hurt and (and dare I say) annoyed by the church. Have you ever felt that way? I know that a perfect church doesn’t exist because every church is made up of imperfect people, but I crave a good, solid, church family. A place that’s as passionate about adoption and orphan care as I am. A place that’s about more than just getting a cup of coffee, singing a few songs, and going on with life. A place where you’re more than the check you put in the offering plate and people notice when you are absent for weeks on end.
I know I need to get over my hurt and allow God to work in this area of my life. I need to be involved in a church. I need to be planted there. After all, the bible says, “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green...” (Psalm 92:12-14)
What spiritual lessons does God want you to learn? Are you growing and maturing spiritually, or have you become complacent? What areas do you sense God working on in your life?
Girl, I can relate to you….even specifically with church. Sometimes, it is just easier to do what we FEEL like doing rather than sticking with things even through the tough times. Of course, I totally relate to the difficulty of making it to church with little ones. Sometimes you just wonder why you should go through the trouble. I feel like in this area God has just been asking me to be faithful. Just to be there. Not even to sign up for a bunch of things, but just do be faithful to do however much (or little) he is asking at the moment. I think having that perspective helps. Oh, but it’s still easier to do what I feel like…… 😉 Thanks for the encouragement to keep growing!! Love this!