“How Long Does it Take to Grow Up?”

The other day, our youngest popped his head up from the couch and asked, “So, how long does it take to grow up?” I thought about it for a moment and answered, “well, I guess your whole life.” He smacked his forehead and said, “Your whole life??! Geeze Louise that’ll take forevah!”

His question stuck with me. Maybe my answer was more true than I realized. When it comes to our faith, growing really should take our whole lives….

Sometimes without realizing it, we can become comfortable in our faith-skimming over verses because their familiar or rushing through prayer time because it feels repetitive. Before we realize it, we’re no longer growing-we’re stagnant in our spiritual growth.

This idea challenged me to ask myself a few questions…Have I gotten too comfortable in my faith? Where can I honestly say I’ve grown in it? When things don’t go my way, does my response reflect spiritual growth? Is there an area of my life that needs to change, but I keep avoiding it? Is reading a chore or a joy?

If you just took time to asks yourself these questions and are like me and feel like you’ve been graded take heart, I have empowering, wonderful news! God meets all of us right where we are! He doesn’t guide us to stop and evaluate to shame us…no, He lovingly draws us closer. He isn’t waiting for us to be squeaky clean or worthy of a gold star; He loves us as we are. He gives us the Holy Spirit-our Helper-ready to work in us, strengthen us, and help us continue to grow until He calls us to completion.

So, how long does it take to grow up? Maybe my answer was spot on and what a gift that is…God is never finished with us. The goal shouldn’t be to finally ‘grow up', but to never stop growing.