Growing In Knowing

II Peter 3:18
but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Suggestion?
Hint?
Subtle leading?
I don't think that it's any of the above.
I believe it is the heart of how to truly live.
Growing!

To grow, something has to be introduced into our life. Something that comes from outside our own will and ability. That would be God's Holy Spirit that is given to every believer.
Sometimes I think we don't really appreciate the Holy Spirit, and somehow relegate him to a place of insignificance. We tend to view Him as somewhere between the grim reaper and Caspar the friendly ghost. Bad move on our part.

Grow!
Spiritually grow.
How do we measure such growth? It isn't like we can back up to the door frame with a pencil and mark how much we've grown. So How do we measure it? It is measured by the change of character that comes from within a person.
The move from being selfish to selfless.
The act of giving instead of taking.
The reality of loving the ones who, in the past, you would have never given one thought to.
Those outward behaviors are the result of an inward change brought about by the Holy Spirit working.

John 16:13 - However, when He, the spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will tell you things to come.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would guide us into all truth.
What falls under "ALL"?
Everything.
What is the greatest truth we can ever learn?
The truth about ourselves.
How cool is that? God loves us so much that He wants to show us our true selves. For it is only when I see the truth about myself, that real healing and real growth can take place. Now let's get honest here. We don't always like to see the real "us", do we? I know I don't. I'm bee-bopping along thinking all is right with the world and then "Whammo!!!" God shows me something about an attitude I have or a behavior that I have done. He doesn't do this to beat me up or punish me. He does it because He loves me and wants to change me for the better.  That is growth!

I Peter verse says we are to grow in grace.
Grace: The empowering presence of God in my life that enables me to be who God created me to be and to do what He has called me to do.
In other words, growing in grace means I turn to Him at every turn for direction. Allowing God to inhabit me totally and fully. Through Him and through the power of His grace, I can do for myself what I could not do in the past when I was living in sin. IT is God at work in me, His Grace, that makes this possible.

This is why we have started Vineyard Recovery Fellowship.
Allowing God to build a community of people who are coming out of addiction, and are learning a new way to live.
We want to help you grow just like the verse from I Peter says.
We are a different kind of meeting.....
A different kind of church.....
We are all trying to grow up before we grow older.

Thanks for stopping by the Greene Street Letters this morning.
God on you....

mb