I’m not sure when it happened. I can’t pinpoint the exact moment in time when the big shift occurred. But without a doubt, I’m now on the downhill side.
Physically, I’m “over the hill.” I’m no longer getting stronger or faster or tighter or smoother.
Nope. From now on it’s all weaker and slower and looser and rougher.
There never seems to be a “status quo” with our physical condition. We are either growing up or we’re growing old.
And even though many of us – not me, but some friends of mine – like to claim they are “39 and holding,” I know for a fact that’s not physically possible.
We improve or we decline. We grow up or we grow old.
And we just continue to grow old and decline until we die. No such thing as “holding.”
Spiritual Growth or Decline
The same is true with our spiritual condition. Spiritual “holding” is not possible. We can either grow and mature spiritually or we can decline. God has not given us an option to “maintain.”
We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1, NIV
The author of Hebrews likens our spiritual condition to a ship on the water. If we aren’t diligent, if we don’t actively work to keep our ship on course, we will drift with the current. The Greek verb translated as “drift away” implies a shifting, even only slightly from the intended course. Without “careful attention,” strong currents or wind can cause a ship to miss the harbor.
Likewise, without diligence and purposeful attention to spiritual growth, cultural currents and worldly winds will cause us to drift off course. There’s no such thing as “holding steady” spiritually. We are either sailing along God’s spiritual course or we’re adrift, at the mercy of every current and breeze.
God reminded me of this truth this week through Beth Moore’s Bible study on 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Children of the Day. She asked us to read 1 Thessalonians 4:1:
Finally brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
The she proceeded to use Scripture after Scripture to hammer home the truth that God calls us to “more and more.” More holiness. More humility. More righteousness. More diligence. More evangelism. More love. More…
Well, I think you get the idea.
If we aren’t moving toward “more,” than we’re drifting toward “less.”
We have a choice.
To live in such a way that pleases God more and more.
Or
To live in such a way that pleases God less and less.
No spiritual “holding.” We’re either growing or declining. Sailing or drifting.
If this a new thought for you? What can we do to purposefully grow?
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