Growth seemed to be an automatic thing, especially during those younger years when it was essentially out of sight and out of mind. I know from time to time we eagerly wanted to get bigger, and we were at times anxious to grow up and be like our parents, older siblings, or other people whom we aspired to imitate, but day-to-day, we never actually got to see the growth process, only its results. We grew little by little, and we didn’t notice it until one day… we noticed it. One month, the pants were too long, and two months later those same pants were way too short …getting taller! One month, you looked upward to have an eye-to-eye conversation with your mom, but the following year, she had to look up to have an eye-to-eye conversation with you…and it felt like it just happened, with no effort of your own. But did it just happen or were there important choices involved in the process. The answers are probably yes and yes. Yes, you were obviously hard-wired for growth and instinctively it happened. And yes, there were certainly significant choices that help you along the way, choices pertaining to things like balanced diets and proper sleep habits. These choices paved the way for most of us to not only grow, but to grow to our full potential. But now that you are a full-grown adult and no longer in your younger years, growth is a completely different proposition. Growth in adulthood is much less automatic and a lot more dependent on intentionality [choices], less about the external you [how you appear] and more to do with the internal you [who you really are]. At some point, we will all plateau in height, and hopefully, with some discipline we will also plateau in width, if you know what I mean.
Poem: The Mature Adult
“I shall never again grow taller and hopefully no wider,
So every day I simply pray, that I will ever grow WISER.
Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore, get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.
This verse is one of the best reminders of what's important and necessary for good growth.
Taller, Bigger, Better, Richer, More Famous, are all descriptive words, with a focus on your growth in appearance/what you look like. They dominate culture!
Wise/Wisdom are less attractive principles that focused on the interna youl/who you really are/growth where it really counts.
Growth as an adult hinges predominantly on your choices and is no longer automatic. It doesn't just happen. It's up to you.
Choose to Grow Spiritually
Choose to Grow Intellectually
Choose to Grow Emotionally
Choose to Grow Relationally
Consider these principles to help you grow
1. Watch Your Diet
I’m talking more than food for the body; this includes the things you feed on mentally
and emotionally/be intentional about everything you take in
2. Sleep/Rest Sufficiently
There are things that can only happen while you are awake.
There are other things that can only happen while you sleep.
They are all crucial to the growth process, so don’t neglect them and don’t get them
twisted.
3. Do not go this growth journey alone. Invite someone to coach you, mentor you, and or
help guide you to greater internal growth/wisdom/understanding.
Wisdom is the ultimate growth process.
Don’t Forget to Grow!
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