Just the Good Stuff

let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance — Proverbs 1:5

Here’s a key point to take from yesterday: actually growing as a Christian will involve walking away from things that might look good and feel good, but aren’t actually ‘good’ in God’s eyes. Ignoring that warning God’s giving you will lead to bitter aftertaste of disappointment, distraction or complacency. Has your focus ever shifted from living God’s ways? Thought so. Happens to all of us. How can we ‘grow on’?

Well, some of the MOST important things God wants to teach you go way beyond any knowledge you can learn and repeat exam-style. Our God-given passions and talents can often only be learned through experiencing tough times head-on. But would you rather experience triumph over that thing that held you back from God, or let things ‘blow over’ (which is often an excuse for letting complacency control you)?

Choosing to learn from these experiences is important. We all have talents, but unless you work on those God-given gifts, you’ll never know what could have been. Paul encouraged a young Timothy to, ‘Fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you’ (1 Timothy 1:6). It wasn’t the time for asking for fresh revelations (see verse 13); it was time to stick with what he’d already learned. It’s time to work with the most of what we’ve got, and where we are.

Prayer Heavenly Father, help me sort through the things that help me grow and those that don’t – and do the things that do! In Jesus’ Name, Amen