“That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craf t iness of deceitful pl o t t i ng,” (Eph 4:14). “ but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (II Peter 3:18).

Opportunity

Today we have the opportunity to mature in Christ. It may be our last!!! Let’s find ourselves becoming more of what Christ wants us to be. Let’s move closer to Him! We are moving closer to the Rapture each day and we want to be more mature when we see Him.

Are we maturing in Christ? Are we becoming more like Him? Do we want to grow in our relationship with Him?

Desire

Every true believer in Jesus Christ should have the desire to become more like Him daily. The Holy Spirit leads us to desire growth. Be obedient! As we grow in Christ we can see God working His plan in and through our lives. That should be our goal! We must see less of ourselves and more of Him, allowing Him to direct and control our lives. When we move self aside, we will see Him. What a beautiful thought. The thought can become a reality.

We must put forth the “effort” to move toward Him. In other words make the commitment. Dedicate yourself to it! If you are not moving toward him, you are moving away from Him. He doesn’t move away from you. Maybe you are backslidden. Well, repent of all that hinders your maturity. He is ready to forgive you, so you can begin to mature.

His Word

We must find ourselves in the study of His Word every day. This is one way to mature. Too many Bibles are just lying on the table and not being read. If things keep going the way they are going in this old world, we may be hiding our Bible, but wouldn’t it be better to hide His words in our hearts so we will have them with us at all times? Commit to read it with prayer.

Prayer

We must be in constant “prayer.” Prayer is the key that unlocks His Word to us. We must talk to God daily about everything. We must believe Him and trust His promises. He loves us and loves to talk to us as we pour out our hearts to Him in love and worship. He wants us to trust Him in every area of life. Prayer gives us new strength. Prayer is worship. It is fellowship with the Creator!

Fellowship

We must have fellowship, first with God, then true believers. Unbelievers cannot help us grow in Christ. Satan uses them to draw us away from God. He will find a way to hinder our fellowship and commitment to God. It is right to witness to them and to be a witness to them, but this can only come if we are committed to God in Bible Study and Prayer. We cannot “run” with them and expect to mature in Christ. If we truly care for them and their destiny, we must pray for them.

Witnessing

Witnessing to unbelievers is a must! Witnessing leads us toward maturity. In the early Church they did not keep Christ to themselves and did not need someone to tell them what to do. They just shared Jesus. When was the last time you shared the Gospel with another? Remember it is a “natural” thing to do because we are in Christ and He is in us. Witnessing is bearing fruit. Being fruitful is a must!

Commitment

When we make the commitment to mature, it will happen. God will bless us. He will meet us in His Word as we bow our hearts desiring to know Him in a greater way. Begin with commitment! We have the opportunity! Things are changing all around us. It’s going to be a very challenging year for Christians. Let’s worship God through prayer, His Word, and witnessing God bless you and have a great maturing year in the Lord. May He bless you in all your efforts.

Be determined! Be committed!

Don’t be tossed to and fro!