Almost three weeks ago we welcomed a new little blessing into our home. Kate now has a little sister. For the purpose of the blog we shall call her AJ.
Both of my girls got what you would call a slow start - they were slow to regain their birth weight. After a very long month of nursing, pumping, finger feeding, bottle feeding, etc. with Kate I was very hopeful that things would be different with AJ. But it seems that even when everything seems to be going well, I cannot take growth for granted.
Getting my babies to gain weight has taken a lot of feeding, a lot of extra stimulation to keep them awake while they ate, and lots of sleepless nights :).
In my mind it seems like something as natural as breastfeeding and the physical growth of an infant should just happen...afterall babies all over the world who don't visit a doctor three days after they are born, and then two days after that, and then a week after that...can do just fine.
On the other hand, something like spiritual growth that is actually counter to our natural tendencies should take work. I've recently been reading Philippians and Paul emphasizes this point in Philippians 3:12-14.
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
In short, Paul is saying that it takes work to move forward in spiritual growth or maturity. We cannot take being a Christian and living like how God wants us to for granted. While it is only through Jesus' sacrifice and God's grace that we can be saved and made acceptable to God, we do have a responsibility to live in a manner "worthy of the Gospel" as the Word says. Living this way is not natural to us and it takes work.
What kind of work?
1-Reading and studying the Word - applying what you learn to your life
2-Prayer and asking the Holy Spirit to convict, teach, and direct you
3-Following the example of mentors - Paul tells the Philippians to look to him as an example of how to live. Identify someone in your life who is spiritually mature and learn from them.
4-Being willing to do what is unnatural - that is being willing to step outside of your comfort zone, being willing to stretch yourself when it comes to generosity, being willing to step away from sin
