Keep Growing

Keep Growing

(Read 1 Peter 2:1-3)

“Did I really wear this?” asked Michelle. She held up the tiny, knitted bonnet.

Mother smiled. “Yes,” she said. “Isn’t it amazing how little we are at first and how much we grow?” She picked up a pair of baby shoes. “You wore these when you were about a year old and had just started walking.” Mother rubbed the soft leather. “Before long, you were running everywhere and were ready for a larger pair of shoes.”

Michelle grinned, and they continued to dig through the box of memories. Michelle picked up a small scrapbook and opened it. “You wrote in this, Mom. It says, ‘Michelle’s drawings from ages three to six.’ ” She examined the pages. “At least my drawings got better each year,” she said.

“Yes, they did,” agreed Mother. “The bigger you grew, the more you learned about how to draw houses, trees, and people.” She picked up a sheet of paper. “Look. Here’s a list of questions you asked when you were in second grade.”

“Really? That was the year I asked Jesus into my heart,” said Michelle. She looked at the list. “Listen to these, Mom. ‘Are clouds made out of cotton candy?’ ‘Is God in all places?’ ‘Why did Jesus have to die?’ ”

“All good questions,” said Mother. “Do you know the answers now?”

“Sure,” said Michelle. “I’ve learned a lot since then.”

Mother nodded. “Good,” she said. “You grew physically and mentally, and you grew spiritually, too. That’s as it should be.”

Michelle smiled. “We grow physically and mentally by eating food and studying, and we grow spiritually through things like Bible reading and church, right?” she asked.

“Those things certainly help,” agreed Mother. “And don’t forget that we must not only read but obey God’s Word.”

Michelle held up the scrapbook. “It’s like these drawings,” she said. “The more I grew, the better I drew. And the more I . . . ah . . .” She laughed. “Oops! I can’t think of a rhyme to tell how I grew spiritually.” SLA

HOW ABOUT YOU?

You don’t wear the same clothes you wore a few years ago, do you? You’re able to solve harder problems and do better at sports, right? Have you also grown spiritually? Do you know more about Jesus? Memorizing Bible verses, faithful attendance in church and Sunday school, and studying God’s Word will help you grow spiritually.

Grow Spiritually

MEMORIZE:

“But grow in the special favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18