2005-04-06 - Time

Originally Published 1999-10-09

Do you remember when you "could not wait" to get your driver's license? When you "could not wait" to get your own place? When you could not wait to... It is strange to hear our children say those same things. They want to "grow up." They want to be independent.

We are not much different. We don't like to wait. We especially don't like to wait through the times when the Lord is teaching us something. I know I have said many times, "OK Lord I get the picture...please let's move on..." Just about then I learn something else.

Jesus took time to mature. He is a great example for all of us.

The Lord took about 30 years for self-development before entering into His public ministry. But His self-fulfillment had been preceded by self-emptying. He voluntarily took the form of a servant. Truly He had prepared himself to lay aside his robe and wash His disciples feet (John 13:4)

All of this being relevant to the Christian who is charged to "let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus."

Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men" Phillipians 2:5-7

Luke 2:52 tells us that Jesus took time to grow up. He grew in wisdom through time, to age and mature (stature means age maturity both physical and personal) and grow in favor with God and men. The "child" grew, the growth was through time, "And the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him." Luke 2:40

Jesus grew in wisdom. Wisdom is practical knowledge for life. Proverbs 9:10 states that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The self-emptied God started life anew as the God-man and grew in wisdom so that once again He became the treasure house of Divine wisdom and knowledge. Col.2:3 " ... in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden." Jesus also grew in favor with God and man. Although He was God's daily delight throughout eternity past, "Then I was by him, as a master workman; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him..." Proverbs 8:30, yet as the developing Divine human personality He grew in the favor of God.

It is also important that He grew in the favor of men. Paul admonished Timothy to let no man despise his youth; one way to develop this was to let time and wisdom grace his life.

May I encourage you to follow the example of the Lord Jesus to take the time to grow in wisdom, maturity and acceptance of God and man. For the goal of Christian growth is to come to maturity according to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:13-15 Till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full-grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ..."

In His Service,
Rick & Sandy Riker

liv4yeshua@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org