Pastor Al Paulauski, From Your Pal_ Pastor Al, Fair Haven Assembly of God Church

Pastor Al Paulauski

From Your Pal June 2006

"Where Do I Go To Grow?"
A couple of weeks ago when I was at home with "Strep Throat" (again) I took in some time with my television. Only because I didn't have that much that I could really do. As I was flipping through the channels (as is my custom) I started watching a show that I never watch. As a matter of fact, I'm embarrassed to even admit that I was watching it. For a whole sixty minutes I watched "Oprah." There, I got it out and now I feel better. The reason why I was sucked into her show that day was because of the topic. They were discussing the class system in America. Specifically, how the gap between the lower class and the upper class was widening.
     As I was watching the show, it got me thinking. How is it that at the end of our lives, some of us end up in the lower class and some of us end up in the upper class? Besides the fact that some of us inherit fortunes from our parents or grandparents, most of us end up where we are at the end of our lives because of two main reasons. We end up where we are in life because of the commitments we've made and the habits that we've developed. For example, an athlete doesn't just magically end up a star but it's because of the commitments he's made (to show up at practice, to study his opponent, etc.) and the habits he's developed (eating right, lifting weights, etc.). That's the way it is with everything in life.
     Do you know what? This could also be said of our spiritual life. We don't just become a "fully devoted follower of Christ" by doing just nothing. We become this because of the commitments we make and the habits we develop in our spiritual lives. Isn't that what Christianity is all about any way? First, we step across the line from living the world's way to living God's way (becoming a Christian). Then, we start our Christian journey in which we attempt to become more and more like Christ every day. And we do that with the habits we develop and the commitments we make.
     All of us who have given our lives to Christ grow on a daily basis. However, some of us grow at a snails pace while others of us are growing rapidly. Why is that? Because of the habits we develop and the commitments we make. The thing about spiritual growth is, we get to determine at what speed and to what lengths we want to grow. It's my hope that we will all end up at the end of our lives where we want to be in our relationship with Christ - "a fully devoted follower of Christ."
     Let me close by giving you three things about spiritual growth that I feel we all need to be aware of:
1. Relationships are meant to grow. Imagine getting married, saying "I do", and then going on your honeymoon. But instead of going together, you take separate trips. Then you come home and stay in separate bedrooms. You rarely eat together, you drive different cars, and you rarely talk about your lives. How much is that relationship going to grow? IT'S NOT! But many of us do the same thing. We make a commitment to follow God but then we live distant from Him. Our spiritual lives will never grow like this. Relationships are meant to grow, and we have to grow in our relationship with God.
2. Significant growth happens when we walk alongside God. I don't want to confuse anyone on this one, because God does do the majority of the work. But you and I still have a part to play. It's like water skiing - the boat does the majority of the work but I still have to do my part. I have to try to stand up or at least hang on to the rope. I have to cooperate with God. God promises that if I draw near to Him, He will draw near to me.
3. Spiritual growth is a life-long process. Your spiritual life is a "journey". Whoever said that once you become a Christian that all your problems would disappear and life was going to be easy, didn't know what they were talking about. I can remember thinking this way. But in the seventeen plus years that I've been a Christian, my eyes have been opened to a lot of things about God. I see things so differently now. That's what our spiritual journey is all about.
Let me leave you with the main idea of this article one more time. It is so important that we get our arms around this truth. It will change your life. We all end up in life where we do because of the commitments we make and the habits we develop.