The Hard Work Of Growing

Candy was a quadriplegic I knew in physical therapy. Every day when they positioned our wheelchairs in front of weights and pulleys, I would sweat and strain while Candy only fiddled around. Recently I ran into her, and I was stunned to see how weak she looked. When I asked about her exercises, she shrugged, “It’s just too much effort.” You know, I think about Candy when I meet Christians who want to grow but seem unable to move forward. Take it from me: growing in Christ involves hard work. It requires effort to listen to God and then respond to his promises, rather than your feelings. It’s hard to pursue godly things while saying “no” to fleshly desires. But Philippians 3:14 encourages you to, “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Today, friend, press on. ’Cause Jesus is the prize and he is worth it.