2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.”
Someone has said that growing in Christ is a life-long journey in which every experience along the way offers to enrich us. As Christians, we are given the opportunities through adversity to grow into a mature, Christ-like nature.
Spiritual growth is a result of not only walking with God, but also enduring times of adversity. It is said, that believers who tend to endure the greatest trials in their life, tend to also experience the greatest joys.
As Christians, our goal should be to continue growing in Christ. Just like the first disciples, as we grow in Christ, we’ll discover that the trials will continue to help us mature for the glorious return of Christ.
To grow in Christ, we must learn to always put Him first and above everything else. Here’s a story on the importance of putting Him above everything.
If you look at Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting The Last Supper, you will see that the hands of Jesus are empty. The left hand rests on the table, palm upward; His right arm is fully extended over the table, with a downward palm, the fingers slightly cupped, as if Jesus were reaching for something. However, the spot where His extended hand hovers is empty.
Da Vinci dedicated three years of his life to the painting of The Last Supper. He determined beforehand that it would be his crowning work, his most famous work of art. When it was finished, he decided to show it to a friend, to get his opinion of the painting before he showed it to the public. When he unveiled it for his friend, the man looked it over in awe and then pronounced it a masterpiece. As he praised the artist for his work, his attention was drawn to a beautiful cup that was grasped in the Lord’s right hand, and he spoke of its magnificent beauty. To the man’s astonishment, Da Vinci quickly picked up his brush and paints and began to paint out the cup. Stammering, the man asked the great artist the reason for his actions. And the artist’s answer was, “Nothing must distract us from the figure of Christ.”
