“Instead speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Eph. 4:15).
Some people’s idea of growth in their Christian life is knowing more worship songs than other people. They may really shout, “Praise the Lord.” Maybe they are genuinely good worshippers. Others have Quiet Times every day.
All these things are great, but there are many things to grow up in. Here the Bible exhorts us to grow up in all things. So, for example, maybe you have really grown up in the practice of having a Quiet Time and being consistent to do it every day. But maybe it has become a ritual to you and you really aren’t getting anything out of it.
Or maybe you are a great worshipper and you really worship your heart out at church, but you have not really learned to worship at home or in your Quiet Time.
Or maybe you are a great worshipper, but you don’t act in love towards other people at school all day long.
Or maybe you are not very quick to forgive people.
Or you murmur under your breath at your parents when they want you to do something that you do not want to so.
So, in one part of your life you feel really strong, and you think that you are strong a Christian in every part. Yet, you have this glaring outage in other parts of your life that you are still not very strong in.
Paul wrote to the Ephesians, You know what, there are a lot of areas God wants us to grow in. There are a lot of areas where the world has trained us to live and act like heathens, to live and act like the world shows us in music, movies, and television.
God wants to affect all those areas of our life. He wants to influence us in the way that we think, the way we feel, the way we respond to people and situations, and in our personal habits that nobody knows anything about. He wants us to grow up in all things – not most things, not some things, but all things.
Now, you can’t grow up in all things at once, but He still wants us to grow up in all things. It’s time for us to start documenting areas we know we are not grown in so we can begin to ask the Lord, “God, how do You want me to grow in these areas?”
Ron Luce was the co-founder and president of Teen Mania Ministries from 1986-2015. Ron and his wife Katie dreamed to raise young people who would change the world.
Ron received his bachelor's degree in Psychology and Theology from Oral Roberts University and his master's in Counseling Psychology from the University of Tulsa, along with an honorary doctorate from Jerry Falwell of Liberty University. He is a sought-after speaker who has traveled to more than 60 countries and has made numerous media appearances, such as Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family radio broadcast, CNN, The O'Reilly Factor, ABC Nightline, The 700 Club, Trinity Broadcasting Network, and the Sean Hannity Show. Ron has also written 35 books for teens, youth pastors, and parents and continues to speak at leaders' conferences helping parents and pastors understand the plight of today's youth and showing them how all of us can be part of the solution.
Ron and Katie currently live in Garden Valley, Texas, with their son Cameron. They have two daughters, Hannah and Charity.