One Step up, Two Steps Back

          We always got a report card at school that measured our progress in the subjects at hand.  At the end of the year, you would get your final report card with a check placed in one of two boxes.  You either "passed" or "failed" the school year and for some, you had to take the year over again.  The rest would receive the usual check in the "Passed" box and go on to the next grade.  At least you never went backward and would have had to take a previous grade over again.  Our forward progression is marked by a series of report cards that promote us each year to the next grade.  The spiritual life often goes the other way.  Second Peter 3:18 says, " But grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."

        God expects us to grow in the Christian life.  As we progress through our christian education, by reading and applying God's Word to our lives, we have a choice to do what it says or not to do it.  If we choose not to do it, we take it over and over and over again until we learn the lesson that God want to teach us.  When you finally pass the requirement, God moves you along to the next one.  Oh, and by the way, these never come just one at a time, but are often grouped together and only God knows when you have successfully completed the test.  The lesson can be in forgiveness or being kind to other people or sharing your faith with others or being successful in a particular temptation.  I often point out that there are 39 imperatives in the Book of Ephesians and any one of them can include a longtime to finally do what God wants you to do.  Forgiveness is one of those that are listed in Ephesians four, along with not grieving the Holy Spirit or saying unprofitable things out of your mouth.   Peter's conclusion is that we need to be constantly moving in a forward direction.  That is what growth is all about..  With some people they are stunted in their spiritual growth.  They are not where they are supposed to be.  We may conclude that our spiritual progression does not go steadily upward, but sometimes ends up going backward until we feel as though we are doing it all over again.  Indeed, spiritual growth is sometimes hard to see but ten or twenty years down the road hopefully finds us progressing upward in our spiritual lives.  Peter's final words in this epistle are a command for us to "grow."  Are you making progress in your growth?  If God were to give you a report card for someone to sign, would you be ashamed as you have to do it over again?  Praise God today that He is patient with us.