Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. 2 Peter 3:17-18 HCSB
I enjoy having a small garden in the backyard. This year we planted corn, green beans, okra, banana peppers, green peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, and squash. We enjoyed eating some of the fruits of our labor all summer long. To get the plants to grow they needed just the right sunlight, water, fertilizer, and insecticide. Too much or too little of any of these components would not have helped the plants to grow.
Peter admonishes us to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. It is through the reading of God's Word, praying, participating in a small group Bible study, and worshiping God with others that we are able to grow as Christians. Just like a plant, if we have too little of any of these elements we will not grow properly in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. I contend that one can even have too much of any of these elements that could cause one to not grow. We need a balanced approach to spiritual growth.
Challenge: How well are you growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord? In which of the areas (reading God's Word, praying , Bible study, or worship) do you need to spend more time? Just like a plant, if you do not grow you will die. Spiritual growth is a constant process; no one ever arrives at the perfect place of spiritual growth and maturity. No matter how good we are, there is still room for improvement. Our model is Jesus Christ and we can never be as spotless as Him.