Grow in Grace

 By Andrea Merrell

But grow in the grace and knowledge 

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:18 NIV

 

“What are you thinking?” the woman said to her pastor. “That man is not fit for ministry. He’s a fairly new believer. Look how many times he’s messed up.” With that, she stormed out of the room.

It’s amazing how we tend to size up other believers and critique their level of spiritual maturity. Their readiness—or lack of—for serving. Their dedication and commitment.

When we set ourselves up as both judge and jury, we base our opinion solely on the outside. Thank goodness, God sees the heart.

For example, look at Peter. He was a bit of a rascal. He cut off a man’s ear, denied Jesus, and challenged Him on more than one occasion. But Jesus knew Peter’s heart and never gave up on him. He saw Peter’s potential, not his problems. That’s what grace does.

Just as a newborn has to learn and grow, a babe in Christ has to go through the stages of spiritual childhood and adolescence to reach maturity. And who is qualified to determine the level a believer has reached? Only the Lord.

I’ve seen brand-new baby Christians take off like a rocket while others who have been believers for years are still sitting back in their playpen, holding their bottles, and criticizing those who are zealous for the Lord’s kingdom.

Let’s leave the judging to God while we concentrate on growing in grace.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com and Alex Shute.