HOW TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE GROWING (I)

My wife called out to my daughter, “Moyantoluwa”. She kept saying, “I am coming’ but she did not leave what she was doing in the living room. Minutes after, she comes strolling in to the room.

Her mum said to her, “Moyantoluwa, when mum calls you, is it good to delay?” (Well! My daughter said ‘Yes’ and Mum said the answer should be “No” and she said “No”) Mum then said to her, “When Mum calls you, you respond immediately”. She nodded in agreement.

One of the signs of life is the ability to respond. The dead do not respond. Doctors will always look for signs of improvement in their patients; they check if they are responding to treatment.

Faith is the response to God’s Word and Instruction. A believer that finds it hard to respond in faith is not growing. If it is hard for you to respond to divine prompts, you debate it till the Holy Spirit keeps quiet, you are not growing. If you find it hard to take corrections and make adjustments (to comply with the Word of God), you are not growing. 

There are battles you must lose if you will grow. One of such is your struggle with the Word and the Spirit of God. You must lose the battle for you to be willing, and like Jesus, you must be able to say, “Not my will but yours be done”. Lose in your struggle with God so you can win in life.

I know we have Father Abraham as a huge example of obedience. His response to God was always prompt; even when the request is not palatable.

But I see a man of faith in Brother Timothy. The first major thing that Paul asked Timothy to get done in their father-son relationship was not convenient at all – “Circumcision”. He had a power of choice yet he got it done just like Abraham (and Timothy had all the right reasons to say No)- That is a tough decision.

There is nothing else that will test your growth and response like Money. The only thing that Jesus mentioned we will be tempted to serve other than God is Money.

Take a simple test: Can you after your business hits a profit of about 10,000,000 dollars leave it all and follow Jesus? That was what Peter, James and John did.

Can you move beyond being a good church member where you give to support the work to selling all you have, giving it all away and following Jesus (maybe to plant a church in a small town)?

That was the challenge of the rich young ruler. Jesus looked at him and loved him but his possession held me greatly that he could not move an inch.

Wait! Can you make a major loss of all your companies in one day and still bow down in worship? Oh really! Job’s case was worse than that you know.

Friends, when a patient begins to argue with his doctor, the patient is already “fine”. You must be willing to go naked under the knife of divine surgery and let the Word cut off all that will hinder growth.

You must allow the word to see into hidden places and say “Here I am, remove all that needs to be removed. Deal with my attachment to things. The summary of my life must not be about my possession but about becoming who you want me to be”

Are you responding to treatment or are you arguing with the doctor?

©temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa