Growing Through Life Well

If you’re refusing to experience life, you’re refusing to grow. 

If you resist the experience, you resist the growth!

For quite some time in my life, I found myself at a stand still — afraid I’d make a mistake, afraid I’d get hurt. And so thinking, I wouldn’t move forward into an experience that would change my life in any way. Ironically I desired change, I desired growth. “Learning while growing” is a term I coined to describe my lens when it comes to growth and my love thereof. But is it really love for growth or the idea of growing?

Love is an actionable choice. You love someone or something you sacrifice, go out of your way for them/it. You go above and beyond, you think on them all the time. You do for them not solely or even mainly because of what they do for you but, because of who/what they are. That’s love. 

As I assessed my relationship with growth, I’ve come to realize that it is the idea of growing that I love. This conclusion comes by recognizing my stubborn resistance and refusal to experience what brings growth; whether that experience is brought to me or I go for it. As much as I conceptualize the process of growing, entering the process has frightened me. Therefore I remain the same, growth remains an idea in the mind and not actually a change in mind because had the growth actually taken place in the mind, the body, and life would follow. 

“As a man thinketh . . . so is he” Proverbs 23:7. So if my mind vacillates between growing and resistance to growth then I will find myself starting and stopping. We want to be people who finish what we start, to see the end result made manifest, to experience the joy of accomplishment, to look back and say “wow I really did that!” and to thank God for it!

How do we get there? 

”The soul (appetite) of the lazy person craves and gets nothing [for lethargy overcomes ambition], But the soul (appetite) of the diligent [who works willingly] is rich and abundantly supplied.“ Proverbs 13:4 AMP

Sharp and decisive is what diligent means in Hebrew in this scripture. Be sharp and decisive about what you want and where you want to be. In doing so you won’t be moved by what you have to experience to get there. James 1:8 tells us that a double-minded person is unstable in all their ways and cannot expect to receive from God. The opposite of that would be to believe in and be certain about what you want and where you want to be, your ability to get there, and God’s grace and presence with you. Be diligent. The mind is the center of the soul, so how you are in your mind determines how you’ll show up outside of your head.

Let’s clean up the mind. 

”Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.“ Galatians 6:9 NIV

Embrace the experience and allow yourself to live it. Living the experience necessary for growth is like a seed you’re planting for a harvest of a new version of you and all that comes with. Know that it’s the grace of God that strengthens you and carries you through.

The results have to be really worth it to you, and your commitment determines that for you. Change, at times, seems to happen overnight so think of the experience as the night and the end result as the day — know that growth is gradual like the sunrise. Something is taking place, but if you move from where the sun is rising back to where the sun has already set, it will remain night for you. 

Thank God that the morning comes, again and again. Although you may experience many nights, even getting caught in awe looking at the stars, know that there is a morning star waiting to shine on the fullness of your growth.

Know what you want and DECIDE. Be sharp, intentional, and committed about your decision. Embrace the experience your decision brings you to.

Acknowledge God in it all. His Spirit is with you and in you to help. His Grace strengthens you. You are not alone and you can do it! Believe.

We may not choose the experience, but even if we do, the principal remains. 

”The diligent find freedom in their work; the lazy are oppressed by work.“ Proverbs 12:24 MSG

Let what you do bring freedom because what you don’t do or put no effort into has the ability to keep you bound.