Growing Up In Grace
Grow is to accrue; to advance; to be changed; to come to degrees as in process; to enlarge; to extend; to improve; to increase; to make progress; to proceed; to produce; to swell.
Up is the degree or point of adequate as in to live up to the principle professed; above; aloft; approaching; climbing as in ascending; elevation; high; increase; in order; insurrection the opposing of justice; rise; state of advancement or proficiency; sustain; and young to old as in immature to mature.
Grow Up is the combination of definitions based on maturity. To arrive at maturity of full stature as in embryo to adult.
2 Peter 3:18; Eph. 4:15
From the sudden start of creation that which is created is continually growing up until it reaches death. At no time as long as breath is in the creation of the design by which it has been created, for its purpose is intended is to cease to grow or grow up.
In humankind suddenly we grow up from embryo to adulthood. Though our outward parts and inner organs have reached their purpose of growing. Our mentality the mind, heart, character, and integrity should never stop growing up until we no longer possess breath.
Many people believe that their growth has stopped when in fact unwarily we grow constantly. New information be it good or bad for us is constantly being uploaded in our minds and heart. It is up to us whether or not we will allow its impact to control us. For example, we intake knowledge of anything that we must refrain from because we believe the lie of it being good. So, it is tried and liked and before we know it, we have grown up to become its true purpose that was hidden [not really] from us. A good example, however, is to grow up in the grace and knowledge of our LORD and Savior JESUS The CHRIST. This will never be a wrong direction to mature towards.
When we come to know HIM for whom HE is such for example,
- Grace: the character of being an advantage as in to benefit or to give access; agreeable; benevolent as in to show in words and actions; bias as in listening and looking either in or to get understanding of why people are the way they are without granting excuses; consistent; the disposition to oblige as in to do a favor; countenance as in friendly face; defend; favor as in to have kind regard; free gift as in be; friendly; goodwill; justify; kindness; pardon the guilty; please, and gratify other people above self; promote godliness; prompt as in respectful of time; quick as in the opposite of procrastination; rational; ready; supportive; unmerited as in not having to work for; willing to do.
Understanding this characteristic be it partially or in full will develop within us suddenly but will show up within us due to HIS perfect process in our maturity of growing up in HIM. People will see grace in or on our life but may not know that it is grace but will recognize the manner and character attributes that can only come directly from GOD. This is a knowledge that we all must continue to grow up in throughout our lifetime on this earth.
Speak at all times in love. Learning this can be a difficult process to place into action. We are either quick to speak what our emotions dictate or slow to speak internalizing all that may hurt, anger, or cause us to fear without releasing all that negativity to the FATHER so that we can be healed in that particular area. We can develop inward emotional injuries just as we incur outer injuries that require cleaning, disinfecting, and a bandage for a scab to develop and fall naturally instead of picking at the scab which will leave a scar. Be slow to speak and quick to hear/listen, James. 1:19 CJB. When we speak quicker than we listen we are more apt to speak words of harm rather than love. Moses has mostly been taught to us when it comes to his vocal abilities erroneously. Moses grew up in the Pharoah’s palace, he received a great education but he had a vocal flaw when it came time to speak publicly. GOD’s Word tells us that Moses by his conversation with JESUS in the burning bush on top of Mount Sinai that he always has been a terrible speaker, that his tongue moves slowly, and that his words come slowly. However, JESUS said to Moses that HE will teach Moses what to say, Exodus 4:10-11 CJB. In the ICB the scripture translate cannot find the best words. And in the GNT the scripture translates slow and hesitant. So, this caused me to research what caused an educated man like Moses to be as he was. Let me break them down into categories.
- Terrible Speaker: Because Moses tells us that he was a terrible speaker this should tell us that he may have suffered from Gloss phobia which is a fear of speaking. In Greek, the actual word is defined as a tongue phobia; fear, or dread. This is an anxiety of public speaking, social anxiety. Here are the notable symptoms. Anxiety [intense]; sweating; dilation of the pupils; trembling; shortness of breath; nausea; dizziness; panic attacks; frequent need to use the privy. The verbal symptoms are straining to speak; voice quiver and shake; repeating self; hesitation while speaking using the frequency of fillers such as umm, ahh, or the uncomfortable pause; stammer or tic; and dry mouth.
- Slow-moving tongue: Dysarthria prevents us to find the best words to say or Aphasia a communication disorder resulting from damage or injury to the brain that controls our language. Most commonly found in those who are geriatrics or stroke survivors. Expressive Aphasia [non-fluent] is found in people who know what to say but have a difficult time communicating it to others.
- Slow and hesitant speaker: Fear of public speaking
Now that we see what Moses meant when he self-described himself as a terrible speaker we can better understand from the three categories given. His problem with speaking was not being able to speak without stammering or stuttering his problem was speaking in public or to several people that he found impossible to communicate with or at the least he thought of himself to be less than adequate to speak to those who seemed to be more knowledgeable or in a better class of genre than he. We all have experienced one or more of the described symptoms at some point in our life. But just as JESUS was with Moses and his mouth; a show of grace, JESUS is with us always as promised in the verses below.
Okay; I may have veered a wee bit but I did so that we may have a clearer understanding about speaking in love -vs- speaking out of our emotions. We are to grow up in JESUS reflecting that HE is our head and not our flesh, emotions, circumstances, other people, or situations.
Ps. 73:23; Jer. 1:8, 19; Is 41:10, 43:5; Acts 18:10; Hag. 1:13; Gen. 26:24, 28:15; Jhn. 14:20; Mt. 28:20
AMFBeM ™