Growth in God
Have you ever had the Lord show you something erroneous that you did not even know you believed? When the Lord recently revealed something like that to me, the error was so in contrast to everything I now know that I felt very stupid. The literal translations use the word stupid to describe many a person’s foolishness, and I qualified! I did not know that I was carrying this old wine in the new wineskin of my being. When we are a new creation in Christ, He makes all things new within us, so I am grateful for the correction.
Like many believers, I seek the Lord daily for growth. Particularly after an enlightening word from the Lord or a powerful gathering where His presence was strong, I examine myself for the expected growth that is prophesied. Sadly, I am disappointed to see the same old person! Then God showed me I was measuring growth by knowledge gained, looking for an increase in the gems of wisdom and revelation about our Lord and His kingdom. There are always a few new understandings, including answers to questions I have posed before the Lord, for which I am most thankful, but that is not the critical change!
In my search for becoming more like the Lord, I’ve mistakenly had my focus on receiving head knowledge instead of heart change. The most critical change He has been working is in greater love for the brethren, for those in need, even for the unlovable among us. Well, duh?! How did I miss that when I well know that it is all about the heart? The changes He writes upon our hearts are the way we are becoming more like Him. Such is the higher purpose of increased wisdom and understanding of His ways.
Gems of knowledge and understanding are precious, but cannot compare with my long-held plea for God to increase His love in me. Agape love is who He is. Love for the brothers and sisters in the body of Christ is His measure of growth, not the abundance of knowledge I have in my storehouse. It is good to have more truth, but Paul makes it clear that truth—or anything else— is worthless without love. I had unknowingly been looking at the wrong measuring rod in assessing the promised growth of God in my being!
.“…until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” Ephesians 4:13 NIV
Now I could see how the Lord is growing the inner spiritual man daily, increasing His love within that makes no demands for change first. Wow! I cannot do this in my flesh. Have you ever tried to make yourself love or even like one of your brothers or sisters in Christ who has obvious faults or just rubs you the wrong way? It does not work. The way some express the Lord within them, the carnal nature of pride and ego mixed in, the self-righteousness that shows through; it is just a turn-off. When this happens to me, I immediately confess my lack of love to the Father, asking the Lord to change my heart to love and honor my brothers and sisters whom He loves. They are family!
When participating in powerful spiritual gatherings, I have encountered a brother or sister that I was, to put it mildly, not drawn to at all. Knowing that this falls short of one of the two greatest commandments, I waited upon the holy spirit to change my heart. It took until the end of the meeting or even a few days after, until God’s love was fully in my heart for them. God showed me my log in the eye, so I could pray about the speck of their root of pride and arrogance, the carnal ego, the puffed-up knowledge, aspects of their carnal nature.
I desire to love them regardless, as Father God does. His holy spirit within makes this change so I can pray sincerely with God’s love for them. His judgment for their lack is always paired with mercy. So shall it be within each of us.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5 NIV
I have set my heart before the Lord to love people better. It is not easy and, of course, can only be done by God. I did not realize at the time that the way God does this is to bring more and more people into my life who are harder to love, more difficult to extend mercy and compassion. He brings the unlovable, some of whom can cause suffering to myself and others. What did the Lord tell us, however, but to love our enemies? If we only love those who love us, we are no different than the heathen.
When I only connect with those like me that I can understand, who are like me, my puny love for others remains untested.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-38 NIV
This shift in focus enables us to see growth as God sees it. Years ago, God showed my being as a small spirit, big head of knowledge, and small body. I am a curious person, a life-long learner who values knowledge and education about a broad range of topics and issues. Consequently, Google is my frequent companion, and I know a lot of things that mean nothing! That is, they are not edifying in building up the Body of Christ even though they are of interest to me. Since that early vision of my being, God has been feeding the inner spirit man within.
Now I see my heart instead of my head, larger within me. I praise His name for every bit of the increase of the love of God growing within for His body of believers! Yes, God clearly states to seek wisdom and knowledge as the primary thing, but the result is to be a nature more like Him. Jesus said the holy spirit will teach us all truth, but 1 Corinthians 13 makes it most clear that truth,, along with gifts and callings, is useless without love. I am humbled by having my blind eyes open to this error and most grateful that He showed it to me.
The apostle John specialized in expressing the love of God, marking it as the sign of His life within.
"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death." 1 John 3:14 NIV
This verse teaches that genuine love for fellow believers is the primary indicator of spiritual transformation through the life of Jesus Christ. When we meditate on this, we see that lack of love is death to us. The context emphasizes that genuine, Christ-like love goes beyond mere words, to be manifested in behavior. Loving the brethren, other believers, demonstrates that we are transitioning from a state of eternal separation from God, the bondage of death, to one of eternal life in Christ.
Anyone harboring hate, failing to demonstrate love, remains in spiritual darkness. Jesus Christ's sacrifice is the ultimate model of love. John goes on to say:
“Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer. By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.…” 1 John 3:15-16 BSB
Believers are called to self-sacrifice, generosity, and loving in deed and in truth rather than with mere words. How much more significant is this truth than so many other things we Christians busy ourselves with in our Christian walk! It is a further surrender to our Lord when we love others as He has loved us. We clearly do not choose who is in the body of Christ, nor those He is drawing into unity in this era. What a surprise it can be for us to connect—or be reconnected—to other whose path has greatly diverged from ours.
God is not finished with surprising us in whom He is bringing together in this time of transition. We dare not judge by outward appearance in this hour. Only Father God can unite such diverse individuals into His precious body of saints being readied to change the whole creation. Look not at the outward but the inward! Have compassion on all He brings together, having mercy and love for even the least attractive or appealing among us. Look to the holy spirit to change our hearts when we do not have what we need to do so.
This is now my heart’s prayer and I pray you join me in this most holy endeaver. May His great name be praised and lifted up in all the earth!