Devotional Gems by Jolene
Created for Bible Study for Kids
GROWTH
by J.D. Griffith
2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
Every child is anxious to grow up. It’s our nature to want to
grow, and it’s fun. Growing means you can do more stuff, and play with bigger
kids doing cool things. It also means that you’re the bigger kid, who can teach
what you know to the younger kids. With each higher mark on your growth chart,
you can see evidence of where you’ve been and know you’re going to grow even
taller.
But you’re growing in other ways, too. Kindergarten is exciting, but first grade
makes you feel like you’ve learned so much. God is interested in watching you
grow spiritually. Checking that progress is exciting, too. Much like learning
the alphabet where letters become building blocks to reading words. Hearing
Bible stories, like Daniel in the Lion’s Den, is a building block for your
understanding. Each one of us could be Daniel. That’s spiritual maturity when we
can identify with a person in a Bible story. We’re not very different from them.
Our lives are different today, but we can imagine what they must have felt like.
We can measure our spiritual growth.
We get reprimanded when we do something wrong. Discipline is not cool, but our
parents want others to like us. Just as we teach a dog not to use the bathroom
inside the house, our parents are teaching us how to behave so others like us.
When we get a guilty conscience about doing the wrong thing, that’s a
measurement of our spiritual maturity.
Some times we need time alone. Quiet time gives us a chance to breathe easily
and not compete. It’s also the perfect time to read. Private moments in prayer
are necessary to sort through problems. Sharing troubles with the Lord is like
telling your Mom or your friend what’s wrong. When we do that, it’s another
sign. Yes, a sign of your growing up.
Remember about how God is molding you into the likeness of His Son, Jesus? That
is His goal for your physical, mental, and spiritual maturity. You get to that
point day by day, growing and shining your light into the world.
