As I was seeking God and spending time in prayer today, I was reminded of the passage in Luke where as a young boy, Jesus was in the temple sitting with the teachers and all who heard Him were amazed at His knowledge and insight. His parents found Him there and then He left with his parents back to Nazarerth.
But the verse that came to mind is immediately following this in Luke 2:52.
“And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
Increasing in wisdom and stature. Jesus Himself grew in wisdom. He grew, spiritually, mentally, and physically. And we are called to be like Jesus.
My housemate, friend, and coworker in ministry likes to ask people, “What can you do or what do you know today, that you couldn’t do or didn’t know last week?” In other words, “How are you growing? What are you learning?”
We should always work to know more, learn more, get better, grow and develop ourselves. I understand that in this current time of uncertainty, we can get overwhelmed by the unknown and want to pull back and just coast in our lives.
But I want to encourage all of us to keep developing our lives, increasing in our wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Learn something new, develop your skills, and grow. It doesn’t need to be a big deal like learning a new language while we are socially distancing, but it can be something.
Use this time to learn more about the heart of God. Be creative by painting, cooking, sewing, drawing, and more. Like Jesus, let us grow both spiritually and in the body. Let both God and man look at us with greater favor. Don’t be discouraged, but encouraged. God is bigger than any isolation we are facing, and “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28)
Father God, just as your son Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and favor, so too help us to continue to grow and develop ourselves in a way that honors you. Grant us grace and strength to do this, even if it is hard. We put our faith in You, Lord. Amen.
Pastor Ken