Growing in Grace.

I think every Christian wants to grow in grace. They want to become more like Jesus. When we seem to be so slow at growing; when we look at ourselves in despair; we need to remember it is Jesus who provides the growth. 

One of my sisters told me she didn't think she was changing for the better after a year of praying to be more loving. I told her she was wrong. I had seen a great change in her. She had more patience and kindness than ever before but she couldn't see it. I think we should look at Jesus and look away from ourselves. Perhaps we don't see ourselves the way God and others see us and we will  be discouraged.

These are some quotes from Henry Drummond on Christian growth.

Violent efforts to grow are right in earnestness, but wholly wrong in principle. There is but one principle of growth both for the natural and spiritual, for animal and plant, for body and soul. For all growth is an organic thing. And the principle of growing in grace is once more this, "Consider the lilies how they grow." 

The lilies grow, Christ says, of themselves; they toil not, neither do they spin. They grow, that is, automatically, spontaneously, without trying, without fretting, without thinking.

Earnest souls who are attempting sanctification by struggle, instead of sanctification by faith, might be spared much humiliation by learning the botany of the Sermon on the Mount.

If God is spending work upon a Christian, let him be still and know that it is God. And if he wants work, he will find it there—in the being still. 

Natural Law, Natural Growth, by Henry Drummond.

http://christianbookshelf.org/drummond/beautiful_thoughts/index.html

The Light of Dawn.

"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day." Proverbs 4:18

Both of my sisters are Christians. Every year when I go down to Nevada to visit them I notice they have grown spiritually. They are more patient, thoughtful and kind. When I read this verse this morning, I thought of them.

I told one sister how much she has changed every year. She said, "I don't think I've changed at all. How have I changed?" I then told her how I could see God's work in her life. She was amazed. I think sometimes we change so slowly that we cannot see it ourselves. It is like the first gleam of dawn. We don't see the movement of the earth or sun - but the movement is there until it is the full light of day.

It is best we don't look at ourselves too much anyway. It is best to keep our eyes on Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith.