To Grow like Christ did.
‘And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and man’. Luke 2:52
The ultimate goal of discipleship is to become a person who reveals Christ in every decision and in every sphere of a disciple’s life. To become Christ-like encompasses myriad areas of our lives. Patience, kindness, courage… the list goes on. It is not an endeavour that’s easily undertaken.
But there is an aspect of Christ which is available to all and is perhaps the most simple to align ourselves with. In Luke 2 we have a moment when Jesus as a young man, who despite His youth, was amazing and confounding teachers of the law many decades more studied than He was. Towards the end of this passage however is a surprising statement from Luke where God incarnate, the one who was truth Himself, grew in wisdom and stature.
There’s something encouraging in that reality. That to be growing in wisdom and stature is also following in the footsteps of Christ. That by continuing to choose to grow, learn and be challenged; a disciple is practicing Christlikeness.
It’s a humbling thing to keep in our minds, that maturity in Christ is not a state one reaches and remains in, but a journey of continual growth and wonder in God. To grow is to follow in the footsteps of our Lord.
So where is the Holy Spirit challenging you to grow in this season? In what areas do you need to be shaken from your comfort?
Let’s pray this week for growth in our hearts and souls as we continue in our journey towards Heaven.
像基督一樣的成長
「耶穌的智慧和身量，並神和人喜愛他的心，都一齊增長。」路2:52
門徒訓練的最終目標是成為一個在門徒所處的每一個決定和生活的每個範疇都彰顯基督的人。要變得像基督涵蓋了我們生命中的無數領域。耐心、善良、勇氣……這樣的例子不勝枚舉。這不是一項容做到的努力。
但基督的其中一方面是所有人都可以用上的，也許是我們最容易與之保持一致的一方面。在《路加福音》第2章中，我們看到了年輕時的耶穌，儘管他年輕，但他卻令人驚嘆，令比他研究了多幾十年的律法教師感到困惑。然而，在這段經文的結尾處，路加給了令人驚訝的陳述，道成肉身的上帝，即真理本身，在智慧和身量上都成長了。
這個事實中有一些令人鼓舞的東西。智慧和身量的增長也就是追隨基督的腳蹤。透過持續地選擇成長、學習和接受挑戰；門徒是正在實踐基督的樣式。
我們牢記在心，在基督裡的長大成人不是一個人要達到並保持的狀態，而是一個在神裡面不斷成長和很精彩的旅程，這是一件令人謙卑的事。成長就是追隨主的腳蹤。
那麼，在這個期間，聖靈會從哪裡挑戰你去成長呢？在哪些方面你需要擺脫舒適感呢？
讓我們本週在繼續邁向天堂的旅程中，祈禱我們的心和靈都得以成長。
