We forget that, sometimes.
It’s easy to think of growth as visible, obvious, easy to point to and say, “There it is.”
But it’s not.
We see the fruits of growth in others. The byproducts. We don’t see the actual growth, because that’s happening deep under the surface, where no one else can see.
That’s where it’s happening for you, too. Under the surface, in a place only you and God can see.
Sometimes only God.
So many times now, I’ve watched my kids struggling for days or even months to master something. Walking, talking, using the potty, sure, but then a host of other things besides. Dancing. Blowing a harmonica. Drawing a picture. Expressing a complex thought. Brushing teeth. Singing. Labeling emotions. Pouring a glass of milk. Jumping. Handling emotions. Turning the pages of a book. Recognizing numbers and letters and pictures. They would struggle and struggle and struggle and then, one day, it was like a switch flipped in their mind and it was all second nature.
But the activity wasn’t the growth. The growth is what happened in a place deep inside, where I couldn’t see. They didn’t just decide to be good at these things one day—they grew, they began to understand things they couldn’t understand, started processing the world in new ways, started integrating new things into the way they thought.
And then it all exploded outward in a way I could see it.
The point is, the growing is always happening. Always. It doesn’t matter if you can see evidence of it in yourself right away. It doesn’t matter if others can. If you stick with it, if you’re trying, it doesn’t matter how many times you feel like you’re beating your head against the wall—eventually, the switch will flip, and “suddenly” (to others, not to you) you’ll discover you aren’t where you were before. You’ve moved forward. You’ve grown.
Paul reminded Timothy to focus on the fundamentals of Christianity—to “set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” To “devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” Timothy’s job was to “practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress” (1 Timothy 4:12-13, 15, ESV).
We grow in what we immerse ourselves in. And eventually—eventually—that progress becomes obvious to those around us. But the growth that leads to that progress is like a seed growing in the dirt. A lot of things are happening under the soil before the plant is ready to emerge, and when it does emerge, it always feels like it came out of nowhere.
But it didn’t come out of nowhere.
It was there the whole time. Changing. Transforming. Growing in ways no one else could see.
You are, too.
Immerse yourself in the things that matter, give it time, and you’ll start to see the proof.
Thank you so much for the encouragement ! Timely right after the examination process we all just came through.
You’re welcome! It’s a tricky balance between taking a good honest look at ourselves and expecting perfection.
Have you been able to know why God created satan and sin?
Hi! That’s a great question, but I think it needs to be reframed a little before it can be answered. God didn’t create sin; He defined it when He defined His Law. Then he created His angels and us with the ability to choose whether or not we’d obey.
Satan was a sinless angel before he made the choice to oppose God and align himself with sin (i.e. disobeying God). We’re free to make the same choice.
In other words, God didn’t “create” sin—He defined what a right way of life looks like, and gave all of us the choice of whether or not to follow it.
Hope that helps! I go into a lot more detail in this Journey, if you’re interested: https://info.lifehopeandtruth.com/journey-2-the-problem-of-evil
We are meant to grow after repentance & baptism. We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.Thank you for the encouragement in immersing myself in things that really matter and to be patient about it!
You’re welcome! Yes, lots of growing to do—and so much of it happens under the surface!
Thank you needed this … was told by somone that i had not changed or grown in the years that they had known me … and i thought how can you know what God is doing on the inside of me? Smiles from Canada =)
That’s a bold assessment for anyone to make! At least you and God know the real story 🙂 Glad this post was helpful!
Thank you Jeremy for the piece
You’re very welcome!
Thank you for the inspiration!
You’re welcome!
Thank you, Jeremy, for this reminder. As a parent, I can relate to what you wrote about with your children learning new skills. As a teacher, I can also relate as I watch my students learn, progress, and mature in their thinking. As a person who enjoys gardening, I can understand as well. However, for my own growth, many times I cannot see it or I wonder if I am growing at all. Other times, I feel that I have made some tiny steps forward. This was a wonderful reminder that growth is always going on. God bless you and your family!
Thank you! I’m glad the post was helpful 🙂 It’s definitely easy to overlook growth in ourselves, isn’t it?
Thank you for this encouragement, Jeremy. So many times when I’ve had an “aha! moment,” I’ve apologized to God because it took me so long to reach that point, and then I thank God for bringing me to that point. Your Sabbath Thought today helped me to realize that growth was happening even when I didn’t realize it. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I think we’ve all been there many, many times!