Remember when you were told at a younger age, to “grow up!” Depending on who said it, and in what attitude, you either listened intently or tried to dismiss the comment.
Regardless of pervasive “growing up” comments in our past, it is time for growth personally for each person reading this blog.
What is “growth?” On one hand, it is no longer remaining as you are. Merriam-Webster has this definition of growth among others: “progressive development.”
Time marches on relentlessly, never pausing to take a breath or a break. From a chronological perspective, every new second, minute, hour, day, week, month, year … present opportunities for growth for you and me. We have opportunities to choose right and righteous ways of behavior, making positive, Godly choices, or we can choose negative actions that hurt, harm, or worse. Our choices impact you and me, and all the people around us. Growth choices integrate into life, touching everyone, not isolated from impact. Growth choices matter.
In the New International Version, the Apostle Peter is quoted having said these comments, recorded in 1 Peter 2:1-3:
1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Growth here is seen as progressive movement based on God’s goodness already demonstrated to the listener. Positive growth is positioned as ridding oneself of negative activities, relacing those unwanted actions with cravings of spiritual food which alone God can and does provide.
How earnest are you about how you choose to grow and shape your future? Moment by moment viable options present themselves for us all to engage in life-altering, God-birthed, and God-blessed choices.
You are an author, or desire to be one, which has likely brought you here. You may want to write about the growth options with which you have been presented. You may want to tell your readers how your positive choices have ushered in uplifting growth for you. Your life of maturity can be an example to others. Remember: the question is never if our lives are examples to others; the question is always what kinds of examples we are showing to our worlds.
Write about this topic, submit your work to www.creativeteampublishing.com or send your writing directly to glen.aubrey@ctrg.com. Our team will review your work, and perhaps you can be published by us.
Your perspective on growth can change your life, and others’ lives, too.