Growing Up

It's official. As of Saturday, May 17, I no longer have any pre-teens in my family. Will turned 13. It's a milestone for anyone to become a teenager, especially for Will, given the circumstances surrounding his birth. It's also a milestone for our family, marking the time when we officially don't have "young children" in the house (at least not in the way that the term is commonly used). And Savannah's almost 15. I wish I had a dime for every time that she's mentioned driving…

But that's the way that life is. Even though parents may become sentimental about the years passing too quickly (which they do), we still want our children to grow and mature and not stay the way that they are. It is a cause for concern when a child doesn't develop physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially as they should.

But an even greater concern should be the person that does not grow spiritually. I've seen men in their 50's that are still at the same stage of spiritual growth as they were when they were in their teens. God expects us to continually grow and mature. The writer of Hebrews said, "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food." The people that he was referring to had not progressed beyond the infancy of their spiritual life.

Don't stay a spiritual toddler. Pray often. Read the Bible daily. Meditate on what it says. Put it into practice. Become a mature, spiritually strong man or woman for God.

Have a great week, and keep growing.

(From the Johnson Street Youth Group Trumpeter, 5/18/08)