My five year old grandson Coleman and I have had a running exchange between us since he was probably three. I will look at him with his adorable cheeks, pudgy body and oh so cute mannerisms and say plaintively, “Coleman, would you PLEASE stop growing?!” And he will quickly look back at me with a twinkle in his eye and emphatically respond, “No! I won’t stop growing – I’ve gotta get BIG!” Despite my pleas for him to remain a toddler forever, it won’t happen. He’s hard-wired to grow and there is no stopping him, no holding him back.
Much the same way, God has hard-wired us to grow up in Him. We start as babies, drinking in the revelation that God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. It is as milk to an infant – what we crave most in our deepest parts. As it says is in 1 Peter 2:2 - “Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God.” As sweet a time as infancy is, God doesn’t want us to remain as infants – He desires that we grow up and mature into fully devoted followers of Christ.
But maybe that doesn’t happen as surely our physical growth does – it requires a commitment from us to pursue maturity in our faith through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, worship and communing with those who are also in the family of God.
At Spring Branch Women, we are committed to helping you grow in your faith and in building your community with other women. Our theme verse for this year echoes our heart’s desire: I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding (Philippians 1:9). It is our prayer that through each of our groups, you will find abundant love and acceptance and a place where you can grow in your knowledge and understanding of the amazing God who loves you beyond measure. It doesn’t matter where you are along your faith journey – you are welcome just where you are. But we hope that you won’t want to stay there, that like my grandson you will refuse to stay stagnant and say boldly, “I won’t stop growing – I’ve gotta get BIG!” Big indeed - big faith, big love, big joy. It’s all yours – just take that first step, even if it feels shaky. We’ll be there - and so will God.
Janet Phillips, SBCC women's leader