Sink or Swim

Children learn to walk gradually. Slowly.

While newborn horses and giraffes normally walk within thirty minutes of being born, and newborn zebras walk within twenty minutes and are running within an hour, human children operate on a different schedule. Immobile at birth, they progress to rolling, then to crawling, and to cruising (walking while holding on to furniture).

Most babies take their first tottering steps somewhere between nine and fifteen months of age. But even after learning to walk, children are not able to run right away. Neither can they hop or skip. This comes as they grow.

Something very similar happens when we come to Jesus.

Jesus described the miracle of a sinner coming to faith in Him as a person being born again. The forgiven sinner surrenders his or her life to Christ.

Jesus is accepted as a personal Savior, and the life of the believer comes under His leadership. After a spiritual rebirth, growth must take place.

God accepts us as His own, and we are saved instead of lost, but this is just the beginning of what God wishes to do in a person’s life.

Just as you are born into this world without every faculty fully developed, people who come to Jesus must grow. As they do, they learn how to live the new life Jesus offers. And it must be remembered that spiritual growth is continual.

A follower of Jesus never plateaus.

Far too many Christians allow their experience to settle without pressing on to learn how to master the advanced stages of faith in Christ.

Even long-time followers of Jesus have more spiritual growing to do. They have more to learn, victories to win, bad habits to overcome, and a more vibrant walk with God to experience. There is no treading water when it comes to faith in God. A follower of God has the privilege of continually growing, learning, and becoming more like Jesus. That can be your experience today.