Controlled Growth

Exodus 23:29-30

²⁹I will not drive them out ahead of you in a single year; otherwise, the land would become desolate, and wild animals would multiply against you. ³⁰I will drive them out little by little ahead of you until you have become numerous and take possession of the land.

We want everything instantly. We even want our spiritual growth to be instant. There is a law, I think, that this cannot be. We must grow little by little. Spiritual development must be gradual. This is actually for our good. Too much too soon can be detrimental.

I have experienced this personally. We do not grow that fast… but we think we do. This is especially true of new Christians. There has been no growth. Now, suddenly, we begin grasping spiritual truth. To go from a dead stand still to forward progress can be a bit… may I use a word… intoxicating? We become impressed with our own development. We become intoxicated with our own knowledge. We experience what I would describe as an “I know more than all my teachers” syndrome. I went through this as a new Christian, especially when I started attending a Christian college. I was sure I knew more than all my Sunday School teachers. I knew the Greek alphabet!

I supposed I was full of knowledge. I was full… full of myself! I was too full of pride to learn anything. God had to bring me back down to earth… and show me how ignorant and empty I was. The most humble Believer who walks with God and loves their Bible knows more than I do. This is because we all learn the same way: little by little.

We do not grow “ by leaps and bounds” as we suppose. We progress by small, incremental steps. Maybe our minds can handle more, but our egos cannot.