May 02, 2007

Baby Stepping to BIG

Who said spiritual growth and maturity are instant? Where did we get that idea from? All I know is that at some point I thought that after you start a relationship with Jesus you SHOULD be mature fast. It’s kind of like a young couple who births a new baby, enjoys it one day, goes to bed, then awakes the next morning to an 18 yr. old they send off to college. That type thinking is so whacked! No it is more than whacked . . . it is wrong . . . not biblical . . . inaccurate . . . CRAZY!

Again and again in the Scriptures we see growth and maturity pictured as a process that takes time. Hebrew 5:12-14 provides us with 3 images of this growth process: a baby vs. an adult, milk vs. meat, and a student vs. a teacher. 1 John 2:13 speaks of young men, fathers, and little children. We see the process of hard dirt being taken to field of 30-100 fold increase in Matthew 13. Israel progressed from Egypt to the Wilderness then to the Promised land . . . again a process.

To know Jesus is to be in process from LITTLE to BIG. There is no way to get to BIG other than “baby steps.” Each disciple of Jesus has the potential to move bit by bit into the image of Jesus (becoming BIG). Yet there is a huge barrier to anyone being encouraged to walk out their “baby steps.” The barrier is a lie that has become orthodox in our version of Christianity. The lie goes like this, “You have accepted Jesus so there is no place for sin or weakness.” WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!

Starting a relationship with actually Jesus creates problems. One problem is now you have the living Light of God residing in you exposing all the trash that once was hidden. Seeing all that sin and weakness will give you plenty of practice repenting. Another problem is you don’t know how to live as a disciple so you do what the rest of us do sin and fail . . . sin and fail . . . sin and fail.

The difference now is you can run to your Heavenly Father ever time you sin or fail and get a celebratory hug along with tons of acceptance for returning home. All you have to do with sin and failure is go home, period! You cannot add to this in any way.

After being hugged and accepted several hundred times you get stronger and you want to sin less. Amazingly sin begins to look pretty stupid compared to being in the embrace of God. With each baby step you more into union with Christ, into intimacy with the Trinity until there comes a time that you receive His love so well that it hurts when you are not marinating in it.
BUT this is a process. It is being with Jesus today, and then being with Jesus the next day. It is living in the present completely enveloped in His Presence.

So come and baby step to maturity with me. Put away the shame that screams “You should be bigger than you are!” Be the size you really are and take another step toward maturity. And after that step take another one. See how it gets easier as you go. Keep it up, you are doing real well.

Let me know what you think.

3 Comments:

At 8:35 PM, Blogger Mel said...

Right on Dr. Carlisle! It is whacked to think that way, and yes, we have largely been corrupted in our thinking about the 'little to big' process by those in church, not to mention our micowave and Internet--get it now--society at large! You know, thinking about it, I'm pretty sure I can count on one hand the number of times in my life when a pastor or other Christian leader has actually talked about the long-term discipleship process in such a way that anticipates baby steps and even setbacks while we grow, kinda like Bill Murray, circa 1991--baby steps, baby steps . . .

 
At 1:19 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Amen, and again, Amen brother.....that's the whole idea behind the word "growth" that's associated with our spiritual walk. Although too many times we ignore the meaning of the word "growth" and expect it to mean fully grown or in no more need of growing. I've got news for everyone - When we hit that stage - we're dead and in glory!! Keep writing and sharing - we enjoy it!

 
At 8:41 PM, Blogger Mari said...

Dr. Carlisle,

I appreciate your modeling this eternal truth that our relationship with Jesus is a step-by-step process. You are the person that helped me to see this truth; I have been stepping down the new pathway for a few years now.

I must say that the brighter the light of Christ becomes, the deeper into the shadows I see. The process for me is not without pain; it was less painful spiritually and emotionally to believe the lie that salvation made everything okay.

The instant access to maturity theory is so deeply ingrained in me that I revert to it innately before I realize what I am doing.

Familiarity of shame welcomes me home when life overwhelms me, and momentarily I deny the reality of who I am in Christ. Then I recall the freedom I have tasted and run back to our Father knowing that he alone (never me alone) redeems my life.

I love the plowed ground illustration from hard packed dirt to live fertile fields. Think about hard packed ground, how does it get packed down? Why does a dirt floor inside a country shanty sweep clean just like a wood floor? The packing of dirt or mud comes from treading back and forth on top of it. As pressure is repeatedly applied to the surface, the underneath changes as well. The molecules go from being loose and full of life to being closely packed and still, unable to breath.

Do you think we are the same spiritually as compared to the earth? Do we tread back and forth on traditions of men not allowing the truth of our relationship with Jesus to tear apart lies we believe and breathe life into us?

Step on my brother, I am right behind you!

Mari (aka Marilyn Hillsman)

 

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