MERRY MONDAY BY PARRIS BAILEY-
“”But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18
I used to read the storybook “PIG PIG GROWS UP” to my children. The picture of this huge pig stuffed into the highchair, crib and stroller still stands out in my mind. In so many ways I find myself in that predicament. God bids me to come and follow him, and I am still stuck with my pacifier, or holding onto to a older Christian suffocating him. The Holy Spirit beckons to go deeper. After all we should join in with the Shulumite when she says, “I am my beloved’s, and His desire is toward me. Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages. Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves. The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.” Sos 7:10 What I love about this scripture is she is up and moving wanting to direct her efforts to working in the kingdom. You know that you are growing in grace when your eyes are off yourself and on others. The storybook ends with PIG PIG GROWING UP. There is nothing worse when we get stuck in offense, depression and hopelessness. If we don’t watch out we spend many, many precious years wasting away on past regrets. Listen to Spurgeon: “To be happy, I say, we must go forward. Ahead is sunlight. Ahead is victory. Ahead is Heaven. Ahead is Christ! To stand still is danger; no, it is death. O Lord, for the sake of our happiness, help us to advance; for the sake of our usefulness, let us ascend. Oh, if only we would grow in grace, if only we would grow stronger in faith, mightier in prayer, more fervent in heart, holier in life, who can tell how much we might accomplish? Men who walk lightly leave faint footprints, but men who have the tread of Roman soldiers stamp their footprints on the sand of time, never to be erased.”
How do you keep growing? Well, He that started the good work in you will finish it. In other words more grace will be given. Grace upon grace! Understanding the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives also helps us understand that our lives are not about us struggling each minute of the day but relying on him for our very breath. We should also use every means possible in our spiritual walk. Searching the scriptures, praying in the Holy Ghost, and intimacy with Christ to name a few. Enjoy the journey for pete’s sake!