LOVE: A PARAMETER TO MEASURE SPIRITUAL GROWTH

When a child is born, he is expected to grow. If he doesn’t grow, then there’s a problem somewhere that needs a rapid remedy for it. A child only grows when he is still alive, a dead child doesn’t need to grow.

So also, a newly saved believer in Christ needs to grow. But it’s so unfortunate that after years of being saved, the church doesn’t care if he is growing or he’s dead. Even the saved believer has been trained that once you’re saved, you start growing whereas there are parameters to measure spiritual growth. That’s why you can see a believer ten years later still struggling with an old habit and still believes that he’s grown enough. Just because you’re saved 10 years ago doesn’t mean you’re growing. In the realm of the spirit, grace is a catalyst used to cause a spontaneous spiritual growth. So you can be 2 years old in the realm of the spirit and you’re more fervent, than a brother who was saved 10 years ago yet no changes in his life.

The Bible says that that grace comes through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord (2 Pet. 1:2-4). And you get this knowledge through the studying of the scripture. Apostle Peter has written in his earlier epistle that ‘as new born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you tasted that the Lord is gracious’ (1 Pet. 2:2,3). So there must be a desire; a hunger for Word of God. Just like a child who is alive will always be hungry to eat. And when he’s growing rapidly, he becomes hungrier. You must crave for the Word of God before you can grow in the spirit- that is a parameter to measure spiritual growth.

Read also: WHAT TRUE LOVE IS

Desiring and craving for spiritual gifts is good, but that is a very wrong parameter to measure spiritual growth. Fine! The Bible says, ‘But earnestly desire the best gifts…’ But it didn’t end there, it continues, ‘And yet I show you a more excellent way.’ (1 Cor. 12:31). What is the more excellent way- LOVE (1 Cor. 13:13). When you can’t LOVE, or you’re struggling to LOVE someone, then you aren’t growing.

That desire to study the Word is called LOVE. There must be a love to studying scripture, which provides you the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Just as how deep calls unto deep (Ps. 42:7). So also, your love calls unto a deeper love for the things of God. ‘As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?’ (Ps. 42:1-2). There must be a pursuit for God, and if there’s no pursuit then there’s no growth.

Matthew 6:24

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Putting jigsaw puzzle together, in the last days, ‘… the love of many shall wax cold’ (Matt. 24:12). ‘For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous… lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.’ (2 Tim. 3:2, 4). In these last days, men have stopped pursuing after God and that’s why we have a dying church. ‘… When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’ (Lk. 18:8). Let’s return to our first love and start growing.

You may be a tongue speaker, even wrought out signs and wonders and still be a toddler in the realm of the spirit. Make it your resolution to grow in love this season of love!

HAPPY VAL!