Oh Grow up!

I'm a person who loves order. I make my bed a certain way, keep my books organized in a certain way, fold/hang clothes in order and whenever I remove anything I need, I ensure I leave my stuff in order (ask my sisters).

When I walk into a disorganized room, my heart becomes unsettled and I feel the need to organize. I also prefer that people maintain the order in all common areas. But aren't we all hemmed differently...

When my brother was about 1/2yrs old, sometimes in the evenings, he'd remove all the cushions from the sofas and pile them in one corner of the living room and jump up and down on them. Sometimes he'd make a cave and crawl under them. My mum, sisters or I would put them back once he went to sleep. The first time he did that during the day; I'd just cleaned and tidied up the living room. I was upset and started putting the cushions back to their place. I then tried to talk him out of it/reason with him in vain-my reasoning was way above his. It was frustrating. He'd walk behind me throwing them to the floor as I tried to put them back. My mum walked in and laughed at what was going on, she then asked me to let him be, as he'd soon get tired and turn his attention to something else. He's now 11yrs old, he no longer does that, he actually helps me clean and tidy up. He’s grown to understand his part to play in taking up some responsibilities.

My brother’s growing up didn’t happen in a day, and he’s not done growing up either. So are we in or walk with God, it’s a growth process – life is in stages. Sometimes we get so busy demanding from God things that we are not ready for instead of finding out what stage of growth we are in. There is a unique path that God has ordained for each one of us, and therein are the phases/stages/classes that we are to go through. At the Kingdom Academy (the school of ministry I attended), we were taught that these phases are called ‘the school of the Spirit’. Just like you can’t join university without having gone through primary and secondary school, is the same way you can’t skip any class in the school of the Spirit (God), to another up ahead. We are all in the school of the Spirit and like I have said before; God is in the business of upgrading us. We should always find out from God, where we’re at and what we need to do to move forward. And since God works with us as individuals, never force on people what God tells you to do in your growth process, it may not work on them.

  

The growth process brings about change, and this change can be painful (read Josephs’ biography Gen 30-50), but God gives sufficient grace. to see you hrough Joyce Meyer in her sermon dubbed ‘Eagles & Chickens’ says “There are two kinds of pain: the pain of change and the pain of staying the way you are forever.” So it’s up to us to choose.

Maturity attracts responsibility, and God cannot bestow on us responsibility for what we are not ready for. We need to ensure that we’re growing so that we can handle what God has for us in different seasons. Never try to force yourself into a season/relationship/opportunity etc. that you don’t have the grace/favour to enter. What I’m saying is don’t try to push yourself to a stage you haven’t reached yet. You cannot receive what you haven’t prepared for- it will destroy you and will not last. And don’t even think of using a shortcut to what God has ordained for you. We live in a world where everything has been designed to give us instant results e.g. Fast food, Instant check-in, instant download, express laundry etc. which are good  in terms of saving time. These systems have however taught us to become impatient, hence people want God to instantly move them to their destiny, skipping all the “time consuming” stages. That is why the bible warns us against being conformed to what the world is doing (Romans 12). We are to change our perspectives to Gods’ and partner with him, in order to successfully complete each stage.  Your manipulation may get there but you won’t be there for long.

Sometimes we feel like God has abandoned us in certain seasons, well I’ve got news for you: God didn’t leave, He just moved into another season and you haven’t. It is therefore important to stay alert at what God is currently doing, so that we are not stuck at one stage when God is moving us to another. Sometimes the reason we miss out on the move is because we expect God to do things in a familiar way. Eric Johnson says “If you are pursuing God’s kingdom, be ready to see unnatural moves. Make sure you’re aware and be ready to change.”

Part of growing up is getting rid of some things that we used to do-that we’ve outgrown (1 Corinthians 13:11). Growing up is also involves allowing God to remove anything in us that hinders our growth and letting Him make us who He ordained us to be (John 15:2).

Growing up age-wise doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re mature to handle God’s purposes. Having been born again for many years is also not a criteria to check your growth in God. It involves constantly renewing your mind with His word and remaining in communion with Him as a lifestyle.

I like what Heath L. Buckmaster says about growing up in his book ‘Box of Hair’. He says; “It’s not about becoming a new person, but becoming the person you were meant to be, and already are, but don’t know how to be.” 

Some people grow old and grey and die without ever getting chapter one of what God had for them. Gen 5 gives an account of Adam’s genealogy and apart from Enoch, all we hear about the people is that they were born had kids and died - let that not be your story.

There are some levels we’ll never reach in God and there are some things God will never give us, unless we allow ourselves to grow up in Him. If we are serious about going places with God, about handling all God has in store for us, about discovering and living in the reality of who we truly are; then we seriously and honestly need to grow up.  (Hebrews 5:11-14)